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Between January and November, Russia launched 194 ballistic missiles at Ukraine, approximately 60 of which were North Korean KN-23 missiles containing components manufactured in Western countries.
This is according to CNN, citing its own analysis confirmed by Ukrainian military sources, Ukrinform reports.
It is noted that there was a surge in such attacks in August and September, when Ukraine first publicly reported Russia’s use of KN-23 missiles.
“We see that since the spring, Russia has been using ballistic missiles and attack drones much more to strike Ukraine. And less use of cruise missiles,” the acting head of communications of the Ukrainian Air Force, Yuriy Ignat, told CNN.
Ukrainian officials showed CNN fragments of North Korean missiles, which revealed guidance systems containing components manufactured in the United States and Europe. Critical components were produced by nine Western manufacturers, including companies based in the U.S., the Netherlands, and the U.K. Some of these parts were made as recently as 2023.
A report released earlier this year by the UK-based investigative organization Conflict Armament Research (CAR) found that 75% of components in one of the first North Korean missiles used to attack Ukraine were from US-based companies.
CAR’s findings also revealed that over 250 companies contributed components found in North Korean missiles. However, the majority of those electronics are sold to five main distributors, which are all based in the United States and Canada. Experts believe that China likely serves as a key supply channel for these components.
Ukraine is collaborating with CAR to disrupt Russia’s access to weapons components and ammunition through sanctions evasion channels.
As reported earlier, the use of Western-made components in weapons highlights the urgent need to close loopholes in global supply chains that enable Russia to sustain its war efforts.
