Russia strikes Ukraine with North Korean missiles using Western components - CNN.

According to the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission of Ukraine, about a third of the missiles that Russia uses to attack Ukraine are North Korean and operate on Western schemes that were obtained without taking sanctions into account. According to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, this year Russia has launched about 60 North Korean KN-23 missiles at Ukraine, which accounts for nearly one third of the total number of ballistic missiles fired. The main components used in these missiles are produced by nine Western companies, including American, Dutch, and British firms. At the same Time, some parts of the missiles were manufactured as recently as 2023, indicating the speed of deliveries to North Korea.

According to CNN's report, journalists visited one of the warehouses where Ukrainian investigators are examining the wreckage of the weapons used by Russia in air attacks. One intelligence worker noted that most of the missile components are also Western, with 70% being American, as well as German and Swiss. A report from Conflict Armament Research (CAR) also showed that 75% of the components of one of the first North Korean missiles used to attack Ukraine were made in the USA.

Currently, there is no precise information on how the components get to North Korea, but all data points to China as a possible intermediary. CAR claims that most electronics are sold through five main distributors based in the USA and Canada. The U.S. Department of Commerce is strengthening control over companies that supply goods to Russia and Belarus, which are subject to sanctions. The Office of the President of Ukraine on sanction policy calls for increased sanctions against Russia and North Korea.