The most important components of DPRK missiles with which russia attacks Ukraine made by Western companies - CNN

The North Korean KN-23/24 missiles, with which the aggressor state of russia strikes Ukraine, contain components from nine Western companies - we are talking about the most important electronics. These are, among others, companies located in the USA, the Netherlands and the UK.

This is reported by CNN.

Thus, according to a representative of the Ukrainian defense ministry, this year russia has launched about 60 North Korean KN-23 missiles at Ukraine. This is almost every third of the 194 ballistic missiles launched so far in 2024, according to CNN calculations, which were publicly acknowledged by the Ukrainian Air Force.

According to a recent report by the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission of Ukraine (NAKO), the most important components used in North Korean missiles are made by nine Western manufacturers, including companies based in the United States, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Some parts of the KN-23/24 missiles they analyzed were manufactured as early as 2023, indicating rapid delivery to North Korea.

In addition, CNN showed one of the warehouses where Ukrainian government investigators are combing through the debris, looking for small details that provide clues about the production of these deadly weapons.

"Everything that works to direct the missile, to make it fly, is all foreign components. All the electronics are foreign. There is nothing Korean there. The only thing that is Korean is the metal, which quickly rusts and corrodes," said Andrii Kulchytskyi, head of the military research laboratory at the Kyiv Research Institute of Forensic Expertise.

A representative of the Defense Intelligence of the Defense Ministry of Ukraine, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that their investigation was complicated by damage to the missile fragments, but it was still possible to determine that "the vast majority of the components are Western. Probably 70% are American, from well-known companies [...] They also use components made in Germany and Switzerland."

A report published earlier this year by the British think tank Conflict Armament Research (CAR) found that 75% of the components of one of the first North Korean missiles used to attack Ukraine were made by companies based in the United States.

According to weapons tracking experts, there is no reliable information on how exactly these components ended up in North Korea. But everything points to China as the likely source, experts say.

“We have successfully traced some of these components, and the last known custodians are Chinese companies. Diversion rarely occurs at the factory that produces the components,” said Damien Splitters, deputy director of operations at CAR, which independently documents diverted weapons. This means that Chinese firms bought the components from manufacturers and a number of intermediaries.

CAR has a policy of not "naming and shaming" specific manufacturers, as there is no evidence that the firms intentionally sent parts to North Korea.

“Some of these components may actually be counterfeit and made in China,” said Viktoria Vyshnivska, a senior researcher at NAKO.

“But we cannot be 100% sure,” she added, as the companies in question often did not respond to questions.

One manufacturer was also reported to have provided NAKO with evidence that a low-value electronic component found in a North Korean missile was counterfeit.

Reference: Conflict Armament Research (CAR) is a British research organization that tracks the supply of weapons and military equipment to conflict zones.

The Independent Anti-Corruption Commission (NAKO) is an independent public organization that works to reduce corruption and promote good governance in areas important to Ukraine’s national security.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, North Korean technical advisors arrived in Mariupol, Donetsk Region, temporarily occupied by russia. In addition, North Korean troops were spotted in the eastern Kharkiv Region.

Also, according to the Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD), the aggressor state of russia has transferred part of the North Korean military to the border areas of the Belgorod Oblast.

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