Western components in North Korean missiles used in Ukraine. British researchers from Conflict Armament Research analyzed the debris of a North Korean missile crashed near Kharkiv, Ukraine, in January 2024. According to their report, part of the missile’s electronic components came from American companies , German or even Dutch.
1 min
With our regional correspondent, Celio Fioretti
This report marks the first clear identification of foreign components in the North Korean regime’s missiles. After the study of 290 components recovered near Karkhiv in January, nearly 75% came from American companies. 16% would come from European companies, notably German, Dutch and Swiss.
HAS @conflictarm field investigation team recently documented the electronic components of a North Korean ballistic missile recovered in Ukraine on 2 January 2024. CAR investigators documented over 290 components, mostly found in the missile’s navigation system.🧵 (1/6) pic.twitter.com/WxsedC18K6
— CAR (@conflictarm) February 20, 2024
Recent components
These components are all quite recent, having been produced between 2021 and 2023. British researchers highlight the speed of assembly of the North Korean missile. The latter did not publish the names of the companies concerned. According to them, it is likely that these electronic components were not exported to the Kim Jong-un regime voluntarily, but that they were resold to the North Korea by third-party companies.
These revelations once again show the difficulty of implementing the economic sanctions affecting the North Korean regime. Despite a task force launched by Joe Biden to monitor the trade in components that could be used in the development of missiles, North Korea still manages to fuel its military program. Sending missiles to Ukraine could also serve as a real-world test for the North Korean regime.
Read alsoUkraine: concerns grow around the country’s anti-aircraft defense