Ukraine has been hit by a surge in Russian ballistic missile attacks, about a third of which used North Korean weapons that can only fly because they run on Western circuitry, obtained despite sanctions,

The United States believes that Russia fired a never-before-fielded intermediate-range ballistic missile on Thursday in its attack on Ukraine, an escalation that analysts say could have implications for European missile defense.

Two days ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a change in the country's policy for employing nuclear weapons in conflict. Then, on Thursday, Russia attacked the Ukrainian city of Dnipro with a new type of ballistic missile capable of one day delivering multiple nuclear warheads to distant targets with little warning.

Russia on Thursday fired an experimental missile at Ukraine in a clear warning of its capabilities, officials from Western governments said, even as they pushed back against Ukrainian claims of a more provocative action by Moscow.

Russia provided North Korea with missiles in exchange for sending troops to Ukraine, according to a senior South Korean official.

President Joe Biden has revised U.S. policy to permit Ukraine's use of American-supplied long-range missiles against Russian targets. This decision responds to North Korea deploying approximately 11,000 troops to Russia's Kursk region,

Kim Jong-un’s decision to send troops to fight on Russia’s side in the Ukraine War has naturally spurred much speculation about North Korea’s motives. Why did Kim Jong-un decide to plunge North Korea into its first major war in more than seventy years?

The U.S., South Korea and others say North Korea has sent more than 10,000 troops to Russia to support its war against Ukraine.

Russia reportedly provided North Korea with oil, anti-air missiles and economic help in exchange for troops to support Moscow's war on Ukraine.