As of: February 21, 2024, 1:12 p.m
By: Stefan Krieger
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North Korea apparently manages to circumvent UN sanctions and use Western parts for its weapons production.
A report reveals the details.
London - A North Korean cruise missile discovered in Ukraine has components from companies in the United States and Europe, according to a report.
The missile produced in North Korea contained over 290 electronic components that did not come from the country itself, according to a recently published report by the CAR organization, which monitors and investigates the transport of weapons and military materials in conflict zones.
The CAR report indicates that despite harsh sanctions, Pyongyang is able to obtain Western components for its weapons production and that these weapons are being used by Russia in the Ukraine war.
At the same time, it is also an indication of how much the country is dependent on imports from abroad.
Accordingly, 75 percent of the foreign parts could be assigned to companies in the USA and 16 percent to companies in Europe.
Testing a North Korean Hwasal-2 cruise missile.
(Symbolic image) © KCNA/dpa
North Korea circumvents UN sanctions
This shows that North Korea is managing to circumvent UN sanctions against the country for ballistic missile components, the report continued.
Using date metrics, the CAR investigators concluded that the cruise missile found was not recovered before March 2023.
Accordingly, the examined bullet was recovered on January 2, 2024 in the Kharkiv region.
Sanctions against North Korea
The extensive sanctions against North Korea are UN Security Council requirements that have been supplemented and tightened by EU-autonomous measures.
The bombardment of the
military goods embargo
states:
The supply, sale, transfer, directly or indirectly, of arms or other military materiel of any kind, including weapons, ammunition, military vehicles and military equipment, as well as paramilitary equipment and spare parts, as well as certain materials and equipment related to nuclear programs and ballistic missile programs, is prohibited or other weapons of mass destruction from North Korea.
The related technical support, mediation and financing are also prohibited.
(Art 7 Regulation (VO) 2017/1509).
Parts from the USA and Germany found in North Korea missiles
According to the report, it is primarily about parts that were installed in the rocket's navigation system.
In addition to the USA and Germany, parts from Singapore, Japan, Switzerland, China, the Netherlands and Taiwan were also found.
The London-based organization Conflict Armament Research, whose work is partly funded by the EU, examines weapon systems in war zones for the supply chains that used to produce them.
The US government in Washington announced at the beginning of the year that North Korea had supplied Russia with cruise missiles and rocket launchers that were used in attacks in Ukraine.
Neither Pyongyang nor Moscow have yet commented on the allegations.
(skr/dpa/afp)