“Shahhead 136” attack on Ukrainian facilities
40 of 52 parts made by US companies
Hole UN sanctions … It is difficult to break down
Biden ‘supports Bradley’s armored vehicle’
France has also decided to send armored fighting vehicles
Russia ‘aboard hypersonic missile warship’
Ukraine ‘Russia to issue second mobilization order’
An Iranian Russian drone flew over the Ukrainian capital of Kiev in October last year.
Kiiwu AFP Yonhap News
It has been revealed that key parts of the microprocessor, which is the brains of Russia’s “Iranian self-destruct drone” that attacked Ukraine, were found to be American. Following Russia’s armed maritime demonstration with a frigate equipped with a ‘hypersonic missile’, the US has decided to supply ‘Bradley armored personnel carriers’ to Ukraine, heightening tensions since the start of the new year.
CNN reported on the 4th (local time), “A pile of parts made by American and Western companies was found in an Iranian drone (Shahead 136) that was shot down over Ukraine last fall.” 40 of the 52 parts were manufactured by 13 US companies. About 20 microcontrollers, voltage regulators, and digital signal controllers were made by Texas Instruments, the GPS module was made by Hemisphere GNSS, and the microprocessor was made by NXP. The other 12 parts were manufactured in Canada, Switzerland, Japan, Taiwan and China.
The British Arms Watch Group Conflict Arms Research Institute (CAR) also said 82% of all drone parts found on the battlefield in Ukraine last year were American-made. The Voice of Ukraine, a local Ukrainian media outlet, reported that there was a case where a Korean-made microprocessor was installed in the downed Shahhead 136.
The export of high-tech components to Iran violates United Nations Security Council resolution (2231), which includes an arms embargo against Iran, but it is virtually impossible to detect whether Iran imports them for civilian use and mounts them on weapons.
Russia has hit key industries across Ukraine with Iranian-made drones made from the latest Western parts. The Shahhead 136 is so small and low-flying at low speeds that it is difficult for Ukrainian Air Force “MiG-29” fighters to shoot it down.
Ukraine’s position is that it has shot down 80% of Russian drones with its air defense network, but the cost loss is also growing day by day. The production cost of the Shahhead 136 is only US$20,000 (about 25 million won), while the old Soviet-made S300 missile that shoots it down costs US$140,000 (170 million won), and the US-made NASAMS costs US$500,000 ( 600 million won) won).30 million won).
On this day, US President Joe Biden answered “yes” when asked whether he intended to supply Bradley armored vehicles to Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron, who has stressed a diplomatic solution, also agreed to supply AMX10 RC, a French-made armored fighting vehicle, in a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Associated Press reported.
It is interpreted as a preparation for Russia, defeated on the Eastern Front at Donetsk, to reorganize its battle lines and launch a general offensive again with a land battle.
Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed in a video conference with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu that “a frigate equipped with the latest ‘Cirkon’ hypersonic missile system has started cruising in the Atlantic Ocean”. In other words, the intention is to flaunt military might in the name of maritime training. Circon is rated as nearly impossible to detect and defend with a high speed of Mach 8.
In a video address the previous day, President Zelensky said: “There is no doubt that Russia is throwing all its remaining resources and manpower into turning the tide of the war, or at least delaying its defeat.” In addition, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyaar predicted on Telegram that “Russia is very likely to issue a second partial mobilization order in the first quarter of this year.”
Correspondent Gyeongju Lee in Washington
