FT: Ukraine’s Storm Shadow strike injures North Korean general, kills several officers in Russia’s Kursk Oblast

A Ukrainian strike using British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles on the Russian city of Mar’ino in Kursk Oblast on 20 November has reportedly injured a North Korean general and killed several North Korean military officers, according to a report by Financial Times (FT).

The delivery of the UK Storm Shadow to Ukraine occurred before the decision by the UK and US to permit Ukrainian strikes inside Russian territory. Officials from both the US and UK indicated that the decision to allow these strikes was prompted by Russia’s deployment of North Korean troops to the conflict zone.

Storm Shadow missiles, manufactured by MBDA, are precision-guided, air-launched weapons with a range exceeding 250 kilometers. They utilize advanced navigation technologies, including inertial navigation, GPS, and terrain-reference systems.

An anonymous Ukrainian official told FT that the strike was part of a series of targeted attacks against North Korean military personnel in the Kursk Oblast over the past week.

The source indicated that Ukrainian forces had been searching for and targeting dispersed North Korean military positions, utilizing various weapons systems.

While the identity of the injured North Korean general remains undisclosed, FT, citing Ukrainian intelligence sources, reported that North Korea had previously sent General-Colonel Kim Chen Bok to Russia to oversee special purpose Assault Corps units deployed in the country.

 The anonymous Ukrainian official said that the attacks were strategic, targeting specific military personnel and positions.

Another media outlet, Global Defense Corp, previously claimed that the strike on Mar’ino might have resulted in significantly higher casualties, suggesting the potential death of 500 North Korean soldiers and Russian Lieutenant General Valery Solodchuk. However, this information has not been independently verified.

The Defense Express military portal added an additional detail, noting that the strike targeted a sanatorium associated with the Russian leadership’s administrative management.

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