"Russia Acquires North Korean Ballistic Missiles to Challenge Ukraine's Air Defenses"
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports that Russia is acquiring ballistic missiles from North Korea and potentially Iran to challenge Ukraine's air defenses, which have difficulty intercepting this type of missile. While Ukraine has had a high success rate against Russian cruise missiles, it has only stopped a "handful" of ballistic missiles. The effectiveness of Russia's ballistic missile attacks seems to depend on the intensity of the assault. The US has confirmed that Russia has started using missiles from North Korea against Ukraine, and discussions with Iran for additional missiles are underway to target Ukrainian infrastructure more effectively.