Ukraine suffers from North Korean missiles that can operate thanks to Western components.
Source: CNN with references to sources
Details: The publication notes that about a third of the missiles with which the Russian Federation will attack Ukraine are North Korean, which works on Western designs received despite sanctions.
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According to a spokesperson from the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Russia has shot down about 60 North Korean KN-23 missiles in Ukraine this year. That represents nearly one in three of the 194 ballistic missiles fired, which CNN estimates is nearly a third of the 194 ballistic missiles fired so far.
There was an increase in ballistic missile attacks in August and September, when Ukraine publicly revealed that it was using the KN-23 for the first time.
The publication says that, because of this, Ukrainian officials gave CNN access to pieces of military debris that show the amount of American and European rounds in their target systems.
According to a recent report by the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission of Ukraine (NACU), nine Western manufacturers, including companies from the United States, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, produces critical parts used in North Korean missiles. Some of the KN-23/24 missile parts examined were made as early as 2023, indicating the speedy delivery to North Korea.
CNN showed one of the warehouses where Ukrainian investigators are analyzing the wreckage, looking for details that indicate where it came from.
In the warehouse, in particular, there were many damaged drones and burned parts of missiles, and hundreds of microchips were stored in different buildings, which were carefully ordered by the names of types of weapons – Shahed, Iskander, KN-23 .
“Everything that works to control the missile, to make it fly, are all foreign components.
“The only thing in Korean is metal, which quickly rusts and corrodes,” he said.
A representative of the main intelligence agency of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that their investigations are complicated by the damage of missile fragments, but it can still be concluded that “most probably -some of the western parts % are American, from well-known companies.” …
A report published earlier this year by British research group 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 US-based companies.
Weapons tracking experts say there is no reliable information on how the parts end up in North Korea. But everything points to China as the most likely supply channel, experts say.
“We have found some of these components, and the last known custodians are Chinese companies,” said Damien Spleeters, deputy director of operations at CAR, which independently records This means that Chinese companies bought components from manufacturers and various intermediaries.
CAR and others believe that the main problem is the intermediary companies, not the manufacturers.
According to CAR, there are more than 250 companies whose parts have been found in North Korean missiles. But most of these electronic products are sold to five main distributors, which are based in the United States and Canada.
The US Department of Commerce has already strengthened its control over companies and entities that supply licensed goods to Russia and Belarus.
Ukrainian officials say that one of the main problems is poor compliance with sanctions from Western countries.
Ukraine’s Presidential Commissioner for Sanctions Policy Vladislav Vlasyuk expressed hope that the new administration of US President Donald Trump will try to strengthen control over illegal trade.
“No manufacturing company has ever been held responsible for any of these shipments,” he told CNN, “We believe that if any of these … Ukraine would start, (they) doing more in that sense.”
This is similar to the comments of the US Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, which earlier this year criticized US manufacturers for not doing enough to investigate customers despite to have sufficient “resources, funding and expertise”.
According to a Ukrainian intelligence representative, the redirection of parts to Iran and directly to Russia also continues.
“Russia uses Western components across the entire spectrum of lethal weapons and reconnaissance drones,” a spokesman for the Defense Ministry’s Central Intelligence Agency told CNN, noting that the downing of one of Russia’s heavy drones, the Okhotnik, showed that it was done in the first place. We also need to do adequate work to close these supply channels,” he said.
Let us remember you: Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sbiga called on allies to tighten sanctions and export controls after the discovery of newly manufactured Western components in a fired North Korean missile down in Ukraine.
Western intelligence estimates that half of the approximately three million artillery shells used by Russia each year come from North Korea.
September also saw evidence of a new delivery of North Korean ballistic missiles to Moscow.
#Russia #attacks #Ukraine #North #Korean #missiles #Western #components #CNN
2024-11-23 22:58:00
**What specific actions can be taken by international organizations and individual countries to strengthen export controls and prevent the flow of sensitive technology to rogue states?**
Let’s craft an interview for world-today-news.com based on this article.
## World Today News – Interview: North Korean Missiles, Western Components, and the Impact on Ukraine
**Introduction:**
Today, we delve into a complex and troubling development in the Russia-Ukraine conflict – the use of North Korean missiles equipped with Western components against Ukraine. To discuss the implications of this discovery, we’re joined by Dr. Anya Petrova, a leading expert on international arms control and sanctions, and Colonel Dmitri Ivanov, a retired Ukrainian military analyst.
**Section 1: The Discovery and Its Significance**
* **Host:** Dr. Petrova, let’s begin by understanding the context. Can you elaborate on the nature of the discovery – specifically, the presence of Western components in North Korean missiles found in Ukraine?
* **Dr. Petrova:** Certainly. The CNN investigation, which Ukrainian officials granted access to, revealed the presence of crucial components originating from well-known Western manufacturers in these North Korean KN-23 missiles. These components are not just minor parts, but elements essential to the missile’s guidance and propulsion systems.
* **Host:** Colonel Ivanov, from a military perspective, how significant is this finding?
* **Col. Ivanov:** It’s deeply concerning, because it demonstrates the ability of North Korea, with apparent Western assistance, to field increasingly sophisticated weapons against Ukraine. These missiles, targeting Ukrainian cities and military positions, are not simply outdated Soviet surplus – they present a much more advanced threat.
**Section 2: Tracing the Supply Chain**
* **Host:** Dr. Petrova, the article mentions that intermediary companies may play a crucial role in getting these components into North Korea, perhaps via China. Can you shed light on how such a complex supply chain might function?
* **Dr. Petrova:** Tracing these pathways is extremely difficult, as illicit arms networks operate in shadows. Investigators believe Chinese companies may be acting as intermediaries, acquiring components from Western manufacturers and funneling them to North Korea. This highlights a weakness in the existing international export control regime.
* **Host:** Colonel Ivanov, do you believe that tighter sanctions are necessary to curb this flow of Western technology?
* **Col. Ivanov:** Absolutely. We need a robust international effort to enforce stricter sanctions and export controls, not only on Russia and North Korea but also on any nation involved in supplying these critical components.
**Section 3: Implications for the Conflict and Future Actions**
* **Host:** Dr. Petrova, what broader geopolitical ramifications could this situation have?
* **Dr. Petrova:** This situation raises serious questions about the effectiveness of current sanctions regimes and the vulnerabilities of the global supply chain. It also highlights the potential for these technologies to end up in the hands of non-state actors, posing a even greater risk to international security.
* **Host:** Colonel Ivanov, what steps do you think Ukraine and its allies should take moving forward?
* **Col. Ivanov:** Ukraine needs to raise this issue with the international community and demand stricter enforcement of sanctions. We also need proactive intelligence and law enforcement efforts to disrupt these supply paths and hold those responsible accountable.
**Section 4: Conclusion**
* **Host:** Thank you both for your valuable insights. This issue underscores the complexity of modern warfare and the fragility of global security. It is a stark reminder of the need for continued vigilance and international cooperation to prevent the proliferation of dangerous weapons.
