At least six people were killed and 20 wounded in Russian overnight strikes on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, regional officials said on August 11, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Moscow of using North Korean-supplied missiles in the attack.
The strikes targeted civilian infrastructure across Zaporizhzhia and the surrounding district, with guided aerial bombs and missiles hitting residential areas. Emergency services worked through the night to search for survivors under rubble, according to the regional military administration.
In his evening address, Zelenskyy said analysis of missile debris confirmed the use of North Korean-origin weapons in the overnight barrage. “The world sees that North Korea is not just supplying Russia with weapons. North Korean missiles are killing Ukrainian civilians,” Zelenskyy said, calling on allies to tighten sanctions enforcement against Pyongyang.
The claim follows months of reporting on deepening military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang. Western intelligence agencies have documented North Korean ballistic missile transfers to Russia since late 2024, with debris from strikes across Ukraine consistently showing components manufactured in North Korean factories.
Zelenskyy used the address to renew his appeal for additional Patriot air defense interceptors, noting that Ukraine’s shortage of anti-ballistic missiles allowed several Russian projectiles to reach their targets. He said allied nations hold Patriot missiles in stockpiles that could be transferred immediately with a political decision.
The Zaporizhzhia strikes came as Russian forces continued heavy pressure along the eastern front, with the General Staff reporting 114 combat clashes over the previous 24 hours. The Pokrovsk direction remained the most contested sector, with Ukrainian defenders repelling 38 enemy assault operations near the settlements of Zhelanne, Hrodivka, and Vozdvyzhenka.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense published updated Russian casualty figures for August 11, estimating total Russian personnel losses since the full-scale invasion began at nearly 1,460,400, with 1,190 troops killed in the latest 24-hour period. The figures also showed 1,578 Russian drones destroyed in the same timeframe.
Sources: The Guardian, RBC-Ukraine, RBC-Ukraine (losses)
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