The missiles produced by the DPRK, which Russia has probably started using this year to strike Ukraine, contain many Western components. This was reported by CNN with reference to a report by the British research organization Conflict Armament Research (CAR), UNN reports.
Representatives of the organization directly examined 290 components from the remains of a North Korean ballistic missile found in Kharkiv in January and found that 75% of the components were developed and sold by companies registered in the United States.
Another 16% of the components found in the missile were linked to companies registered in Europe, and 9% to companies registered in Asia.
These components mainly included the missile's navigation system and could be traced back to 26 companies headquartered in the United States, China, Germany, and Japan.
CNN notes that the findings mark the first public acknowledgment that North Korea relies on foreign technology for its missile program. This is an issue facing the Biden administration as it tries to prevent cheap Western-made microelectronics intended for civilian use from entering weapons used by North Korea, Iran, and Russia.
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Experts from the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise previously called for waiting for the final examinations of the DPRK missiles.
"We have also been assigned the relevant expertise, the objects will be handed over any day now, and after examining them, we will say for sure. Of course, we have previously reviewed and analyzed all the photos and videos that are publicly available. We understand that the elements recorded there, i.e. visually specific parts, cables, their color, material and other characteristics, have never been found in any Russian missile studied so far. At the same time, there are no established facts of the use of Korean-made missiles, as well as the attacks on the capital. We will do our job here and provide additional information as soon as it becomes possible," said Oleksandr Ruvin, Director of Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise.