Attacks with North Korean rockets on Ukraine by western components

Attacks with North Korean rockets on Ukraine by western components

Kyiv, Ukraine - Ukraine was hit by a wave of Russian ballistic rocket attacks this year. An estimated a third of these attacks were carried out with North Korean rockets, which can fly due to western circuits that were procured despite the sanctions, report Ukrainian military.

Use of North Korean KN-23 rockets

According to a Ukrainian defense officer, Russia fired around 60 North Korean KN-23 missiles to Ukraine this year, which corresponds to almost a third of the 194 ballistic rocket attacks in 2024, as a list of CNN shows that was publicly recognized by the Ukrainian Air Force.

increase in attacks in August and September

Especially in the months of August and September there was an increase in ballistic rocket attacks when Ukraine publicly announced the use of the KN-23 missiles for the first time.

"We observe that Russia has been using considerably more ballistic rockets and attack drones since spring to attack Ukraine. On the other hand, the use of marching flight bodies has decreased," explained Yuriy Ignat, the incumbent communication manager of the Ukrainian Air Force, compared to CNN.

North Korea supports Russia

These less complex rockets are part of the growing support of North Korea for Moscow, which also 11,000 North Korean soldiers that are stationed in the Russian region of Kursk.

weapon fragments reveal western technology

Since the role of the North Korean rockets is becoming increasingly clear, Ukrainian officials have granted rare insights into fragments of the rocket remains. These fragments show the extent of American and European circuits in the steering systems of the rockets.

production by western companies

Important components of the North Korean missiles come from nine western manufacturers, including companies from the USA, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, such as a current report Ukraine (Nako) shows. Some parts of the KN-23/24 rockets that they analyzed were only produced in 2023, which indicates a quick delivery route to North Korea.

The situation in the investigation camps

CNN was brought to a camp in which Ukrainian prosecutors search the pile of rubble to find the smallest details that provide information on the production of these fatal weapons. The camp was full of damaged drones and burned rocket components. In various buildings, hundreds of microchip residues were carefully sorted into folders that were named after the various weapons used by Russia-"Shaheed", "Iskander" and "KN-23".

consequences of the attacks

It is a serious sight, because the investigators are aware that the components were recovered from the rubble of buildings in which human life was lost. At least 28 people cost attacks with North Korean missiles this year and violated 213, as the Ukrainian Attorney General CNN announced.

The role of western components

"Everything that directs the rocket and brings to fly are foreign components. The entire electronics are from abroad. There is nothing Korean," said Andriy Kulchytskyi, head of the military research laboratory of the scientific research institute for forensic expertise in Kiev. "The only thing that is Korean is the metal that rusts and corroded quickly," he added.

difficulties in the investigation

A Ukrainian secret service officer who wanted to remain anonymous stated that the investigation was hindered by the damage to the rocket fragments. Nevertheless, it is possible to determine that "the vast majority of the components are western components. Probably 70% come from American companies, with well -known manufacturers ... they also use parts from Germany and Switzerland."

The role of China in the spread of technologies

There is no reliable information about how exactly the components get to North Korea, according to weapons tracking experts. However, according to experts, all evidence indicates China as a likely liaison dealer. "We have successfully trapped some of these components, and the last known owners are Chinese companies," said Damien Spleteters, deputy director of the operations at Car, who independently Documented weapons . This means that Chinese companies bought the components of manufacturers and a number of intermediate dealers.

challenges by middlemen

car pursues a policy not to name any specific manufacturers, since there is no evidence that the companies have deliberately sent parts to North Korea. "Some parts of these components could actually be fake and manufactured in China," said Victoria Vyshnivska, a senior researcher at Nako. "But we cannot be 100 % sure," added, since the companies in question often do not respond to inquiries.

regulation of the supply chain

There are over 250 companies whose components have been identified in North Korean missiles, says Car. However, the majority of this electronics are sold to five main distributors, all of which are located in the USA and Canada. Car urges the political decision -makers to concentrate more efforts to regulate these sales companies.

The US trade ministry has already had its efforts Reinforced to pursue companies and mailbox companies, the sanctioned goods have delivered to Russia and Belarus. Ukrainian civil servants argue that the defective enforcement of the sanction regime is one of the main problems by western countries.

Vladyslav Vlasiuk, the Commissioner of the Ukrainian President of Sanction Policy, was confident that the upcoming Trump administration would strive for more illegal trade. "So far, no manufacturers have been held responsible for these deliveries," he told CNN. "We believe that if one of these manufacturers for the amount of microelectronics, which was found in Russian rockets, would be held responsible, really, really, really, in this regard."

This reflects the feeling of the US Senate Committee on constant investigations that criticized US manufacturers this year that they do not adequately check the potential buyers, even though they have sufficient "resources, financing and knowledge". "Our results show a clear lack of interest in evaluating and improving the corporate conformity practices, especially with regard to the monitoring of these sales companies, the intermediary," said Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) in September.

components continue to be diverted to Iran and directly to Russia, according to the Ukrainian secret service official. "Russia uses western components in the entire area of both fatal weapons and educational drones," the defense intelligence officer told CNN and pointed out that the catchment campaign of one of the severe drones of Russia, the "Okhotnik", showed that it mainly consists of American components. "We also have to take the corresponding measures to close these delivery channels," he added.