British research institute analyzes North Korean missiles recovered in Kharkiv
Electronic components bearing the marks of 26 companies from 8 countries discovered
“North Korea suggests development of a network to circumvent 20-year sanctions”
An investigation revealed that a number of parts believed to have been manufactured in the United States and Europe were found in North Korean ballistic missiles used by Russia in its war with Ukraine last month. There are criticisms that sanctions against North Korea, which have been in place for nearly 20 years to prevent missile development, are not effective.
According to CNN on the 20th (local time), the Conflict Arms Research Institute (CAR), a British weapons watchdog, said in a recent report, “We confirmed that the North Korean ballistic missile discovered in Ukraine contained more than 290 foreign-made electronic products.” “We found that many of them were US-based company brands, and many of them were produced within the last three years,” he said.
The CAR field investigation team analyzed the remains of a North Korean ballistic missile collected in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on the 2nd of last month. We mainly documented the electronic components that make up the missile’s navigation system, and we discovered something surprising.
From the more than 290 documented parts, there were 26 company marks based in eight countries, including China, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, and the United States.
“75% of the documented components are associated with companies established in the United States, and 16% are associated with companies established in Europe,” the institute said. “9% are related to companies established in Asia,” he claimed.
However, the report did not disclose the names of the companies involved. This is because there is no evidence that they intentionally supplied parts to North Korea. CAR told CNN that it hopes to resolve the problem rather than shame the companies involved. CAR has requested confirmation from the relevant companies.
In addition, half of the parts analyzed by the research institute had a production date identification code, and more than 75% of them were found to have been produced between 2021 and 2023.
In addition, based on the identification code, it was determined that the North Korean-made ballistic missiles used in the Kharkiv region were likely assembled after March of last year.
The research institute analyzed, “This shows that even though UN Security Council sanctions banning North Korean ballistic missile production have been in effect since 2006, North Korea was able to produce cutting-edge weapons by combining parts produced last year.”
He continued, “The fact that North Korea’s ballistic missiles contain a significant number of recently produced foreign electronic components strongly suggests that North Korea has developed a solid procurement network that can bypass sanctions that have been in effect for nearly 20 years without detection.”
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Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.