Reuters
Bomb squad members work next to the remains of an unidentified missile after a Russian attack severely damaged a home in central Kharkiv, Ukraine, on January 2, 2024.
CNN
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A North Korean ballistic missile launched by Russian forces in Ukraine last month contained hundreds of parts originating from American and European companies, according to a new report.
The findings are the first public acknowledgment of North Korea's dependence on foreign technology for its missile programs, and indicate that cheap Western-made microelectronics intended for civilian use are being used in North Korea's weapons. It highlights a deep-rooted problem facing the Biden administration as it seeks to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Korea, Iran, Russia.
The UK-based research agency Conflict Arms Research (CAR) directly examined 290 parts from the remains of a North Korean ballistic missile recovered from Kharkov, Ukraine, in January, and found that 75% of the parts were in conflict. It turned out that it was designed and sold by a company established at a weapons research institute. According to a report first shared with CNN, the United States.
Researchers found that a further 16% of the parts found in the missiles were associated with companies established in Europe, and 9% were associated with companies established in Asia. These components primarily make up the missile's navigation system and can be traced to 26 companies headquartered in the United States, China, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland and Taiwan, the report said. .
As CNN previously reported, last year, CAR determined that 82% of internal components in Iranian attack drones launched by Russia inside Ukraine were made by American companies.
In addition to wide-ranging sanctions and export controls aimed at restricting access to Western-made technology, the Biden administration will also impose restrictions on how U.S. and Western components, including U.S.-made microelectronics, enter Iran by the end of 2022. A large-scale task force was also set up to investigate whether the virus had leaked into the country. Russia has launched hundreds of drones into Ukraine.
It is not clear how much progress the special committee has made. The National Security Council did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
The latest CAR report does not name the specific companies that manufactured the parts. That's because there is no evidence that the companies intentionally shipped parts to North Korea. Instead, the parts were likely sold by companies to North Korea and then diverted elsewhere in the vast global supply chain. Various international distributors. So rather than naming and shaming companies, CAR wants to work with them to resolve the issue, a CAR spokesperson told CNN.
Provided by: Conflict Weapons Research
The tail section of the ballistic missile was examined by the Conflict Weapons Study Group, which includes the countries that manufacture the missile's navigation system and its components.
The study also shows that North Korea was able to manufacture the missile and quickly transport it to Russia. The parts the researchers examined were manufactured between 2021 and 2023, and based on these manufacturing dates, the researchers believe the missile “could not have been assembled before March 2023” and Russia says it was using it in Ukraine by May.
The fact that North Korea's missile production appears to be supported by Western-sourced components gives the United States and its allies control over where commercial electronics go, especially semiconductor components that are extremely difficult to trace once they are distributed globally. It highlights how difficult it is. supply chain.
The findings show that North Korea has “built a robust procurement network that allows it to circumvent the sanctions regime that has been in place for nearly two decades without being detected,” the CAR report said. There is.
And while Russia continues to receive supplies from North Korea and Iran, the Biden administration has been unable to send new weapons and equipment to Ukraine's military. Congress has not yet approved the additional funding needed to do so.
The White House acknowledged last month that Russia was firing North Korean missiles at Ukrainian cities. A report released last week by the Pentagon's inspector general said North Korea may have provided Russia with “millions of shells” last year.
Intelligence officials in Washington are growing concerned about the growing ties between North Korea and Russia and the long-term implications of what appears to be a new level of strategic partnership between the two countries, CNN previously reported. .
The CAR said the investigation into North Korea's missiles is “despite UN Security Council sanctions banning the production of ballistic missiles in place since 2006, and that North Korea will integrate manufactured parts by 2023.” “This shows that they were able to manufacture advanced weapons.” north korea. ”
Russia's use of North Korean missiles on battlefields in Ukraine provides North Korea with data not available from the testing program under Kim Jong Un, which has launched dozens of weapons over the past few years. There is a possibility that it will be done.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said last month that North Korea is seeking military aid from Russia, including “fighter aircraft, surface-to-air missiles, armored vehicles, ballistic missile production equipment, munitions and other advanced technology.” He said it was possible.
“This will have worrying implications for the security of the Korean Peninsula and the Indo-Pacific region,” he added.
