North Korean missiles in Ukraine fueled by Western tech
Ukraine is grappling with a wave of Russian missile attacks. Among these strikes, one-third involve North Korean missiles, which function thanks to Western components obtained despite sanctions, CNN reported on Sunday, citing sources from the Ukrainian army.
Russia has launched about 60 North Korean KN-23 missiles at Ukraine this year. This number represents nearly one-third of all 194 ballistic missiles launched so far in 2024.
Key components used in North Korean missiles are produced by nine Western manufacturers, including companies based in the United States, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, according to a report by the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission of Ukraine (NAKO), a civil society organization.
Some parts of the KN-23/24 missiles analyzed by experts were produced in 2023, indicating a quick supply of these components to North Korea, CNN reported.
Everything that works to guide the missile, to make it fly, is all foreign components. All the electronics are foreign. There is nothing Korean in it, Andriy Kulchytskyi, head of the Military Research Laboratory of the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute and Forensic Examination, told CNN.
"The only thing Korean is the metal, which quickly rusts and corrodes," he added.
A report published earlier this year by the British investigative organization Conflict Armament Research (CAR) revealed that 75 percent of the components in one of the first North Korean missiles used in the attack on Ukraine originated from companies based in the USA.
According to experts monitoring arms sales, there is no reliable information on how the components reach North Korea. However, all indications suggest that China is the likely transit point, experts believe.
"We have successfully traced some of those components, and the last known custodians are Chinese companies," said Damien Spleeters, deputy operational director at CAR, who is independently documenting the diversion of arms supplies.
Electronics manufactured by companies in the USA and Canada
According to CAR, there are over 250 companies whose components have been identified in North Korean missiles. However, most of these electronics are distributed through five main distributors based in the United States and Canada.
So far, despite announced sanctions and public pressure, none of the entities producing and distributing parts for North Korean missiles has been held criminally accountable, CNN emphasized.
