Ukrainian attacks by North Korean rockets with West technology

Ukrainian attacks by North Korean rockets with West technology

kyiv, Ukraine - Ukraine faces an increase in Russian attacks with ballistic rockets. About a third of these attacks use North Korean weapons that work thanks to western electronics that were procured despite sanctions, according to Ukrainian military officers.

number of attacks and their origin

Russia fired around 60 North Korean KN-23 missiles on Ukraine this year, as a Ukrainian defense officer reports. This corresponds to almost a third of the 194 ballistic rockets that were previously fired in 2024, as a count of CNN shows that was publicly recognized by the Ukrainian Air Force.

reinforcement of military activities

In August and September there was an increase in attacks with ballistic rockets when Ukraine first publicly informed about the use of the KN-23.

"Since spring we have observed that Russia is increasingly using ballistic rockets and attack drones, while the use of marching aircraft has decreased," Yuriy Ignat, the provisional director of the communication department of the Ukrainian Air Force, told CNN.

North Korea's support for Russia

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

origin of western components

Ukrainian officials provide rare insights into the rubble of the rockets, which show the extent of the US and European electronics produced in the management systems. Essential components of the North Korean rockets come from nine western manufacturers, including companies from the USA, the Netherlands and Great Britain, a current report Ukraine (Nako).

examinations of the rubble

in a warehouse where Ukrainian investigators search through the debris were searched for collected details that could provide information about the production of these fatal weapons. The camp was full of damaged drones and burned rocket parts. In various buildings, hundreds of microelectronic components were carefully sorted into folders that were named after various weapons used by Russia-"Shaheed", "Iskander" and "KN-23". The Ukrainian Attorney General announced CNN that rocket attacks with North Korean rockets killed at least 28 people this year and injured 213.

international responsibility

Andriy Kulchytskyi, head of the military research center of the scientific research institute for forensic expertise in Kiev, said: "Everything that controls and brings the rocket are foreign components. All electronics are from abroad. There is nothing Korean in it." He added: "The only Korean is the metal that rusts and corrodes quickly."

challenges in the investigation

A employee of Ukrainian defense intelligence who wanted to remain anonymous explained that the investigation by damage to the rocket fragments is difficult, but it was nevertheless possible that "the vast majority of the components of Western origin. There are probably 70 % of American origin, by renowned companies [...] They also use components that were manufactured in Germany and Switzerland." A Report A British investigation organization showed that in one of the first North Korean rockets, which were used for the attack on the Ukraine, 75 % of the components came.

origin of the components

The exact paths through which the components reach North Korea are unknown, but experts agree that China is considered the most likely round. "We have successfully traced some of these components and the last known owners are Chinese companies," said Damien Spleteters, deputy director of operations at Car, which aims at it, independently redirected to document . This means that Chinese companies bought the components of manufacturers and various intermediate dealers.

regulation of the supply chains

car and others consider the distribution by middlemen - not the manufacturers - as the main problem. There are more than 250 companies whose components have been identified in North Korean missiles. The majority of this electronics are sold to five main distributors, all of which are located in the USA and Canada. Car pushes the political decision -makers to invest more in the regulation of such sales companies.

The Ukrainian officials require a higher level of enforcing the sanction regime by the western nations. Vladyslav Vlasiuk, the Commissioner of the Ukrainian President of Sanction Policy, expressed hope that the upcoming Trump administration would strive for closer control over illegal trade. "No manufacturers have so far been held responsible for these deliveries," he told CNN. "If companies were liable for the amount of microelectronics that, let's say, are in Russian rockets that the Ukraine meet, they would really do more to counteract this."