Ukraine says it found Western parts inside North Korean ballistic missiles fired by Russia

Apparent wreckage of North Korean missiles used in combat against Ukraine.

The Ukrainian military said on Monday that it found Western-made parts inside North Korean ballistic missiles, marking the latest discovery for Kyiv as it continues to find technology from Europe and the US inside weapons used by the Russian military.

Ukraine’s military intelligence agency said that it found Western-made parts inside North Korea’s KN-23 and KN-24 short-range ballistic missiles. These solid-fueled munitions are similar in certain respects to the Russian Iskander missile and can carry payloads in excess of 1,000 pounds.

North Korea sent dozens of these missiles, as well as military personnel to help operate the launchers, to Russia, which has been firing them at Ukraine for nearly a year. KN-23 and KN-24 strikes have killed multiple civilians in recent months.

Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, also known as the HUR, said these weapon systems contain parts made by companies in China, Japan, Switzerland, the UK, and the US. Kyiv also said it found a voltage converter made in February 2023 — a year after the full-scale invasion — by British manufacturer XP Power inside a missile.

The company has not yet responded to B-17’s request for comment.

A crater caused by a North Korean ballistic missile attack is seen near Kyiv in August.

The HUR called for tighter controls, writing a statement that “in order to obtain technologies for their weapons programs, the aggressor state Russia and its allies — the DPRK and Iran — use joint schemes to circumvent international sanctions, which requires an appropriate response, in particular — the strengthening of export control mechanisms.”

Ukraine uploaded what it said was evidence of the Western-made parts to a government portal, which lists the names of several companies and identifies the technology found in the missiles. Kyiv said that it had previously found Western technology in the North Korean missiles.

The Monday statement marks Ukraine’s latest announcement on the finding of Western-made parts inside weapons used by Russia in this war. Kyiv has discovered technology of American and European origin in Moscow’s missiles and drones, as well as Iranian-made drones.

The continued discovery of Western components in systems made by sanctioned countries highlights the challenge of creating airtight controls.

Beyond missiles, Pyongyang has also provided Moscow with artillery pieces, shells, and troops in support of its invasion. Over 11,000 North Korean forces have been moved into Russia’s western Kursk region, where the Kremlin is trying to push out Ukrainian forces who control territory there following a surprise invasion in early August.

NATO said the introduction of North Korean troops into the war marked a “significant escalation” in the grinding conflict. The development has triggered several major policy shifts from the West, including in the US and UK, which finally authorized Ukraine’s use of powerful, longer-range missiles to strike military targets in Russia.

Over the past week, Ukraine has used its US-provided ATACMS ballistic missiles and British-made Storm Shadow cruise missiles to carry out cross-border strikes for the first time.