### Western Electronics Found in North Korean Missiles Hitting Ukraine

Electronics originating from the United States and Europe have been discovered in the debris of around 60 North Korean KN-23 missiles launched by Russia at Ukraine in 2024. These missiles constitute approximately one-third of Russia's ballistic missile attacks on Ukraine, according to a CNN report.

Ukraine has faced increased ballistic missile attacks from Russia, with about one-third involving North Korean-supplied weapons containing Western electronic components, despite sanctions aimed at curbing such transfers. Ukrainian authorities provided CNN with access to missile fragments, revealing that key circuitry in the guidance systems of the KN-23 missiles was made in the US and Europe.

Beyond artillery shells, North Korea has also furnished Russia with missiles and has allegedly deployed 11,000 soldiers to Russia’s Kursk Oblast to aid in the conflict. According to a Ukrainian defense official, Russia has fired nearly 60 KN-23 missiles at Ukraine this year, which accounts for a substantial portion of the 194 ballistic missile attacks recorded by Ukraine's air force in 2024.

Yuriy Ihnat, acting head of communications for the Ukrainian Air Force, noted a shift in Russia's attack strategy. "Since the spring, Russia has increasingly used ballistic missiles and attack drones against Ukraine, while reducing the use of cruise missiles," Ihnat stated to CNN.

The Ukrainian prosecutor general reported that the use of North Korean missiles has resulted in 28 deaths and 213 injuries this year. Investigations into the missile debris revealed that significant components are manufactured by nine Western firms, with some parts produced as recently as 2023, as per the Ukraine's Independent Anti-Corruption Commission (NAKO).

Andriy Kulchytskyi, head of the Military Research Laboratory of Kyiv's Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise, confirmed the high foreign content, stating, "Everything that works to guide the missile, to make it fly, is all foreign components. All the electronics are foreign. There is nothing Korean in it."

A Ukrainian Defense Intelligence official indicated that approximately 70% of the missile components are American-made. The UK-based Conflict Armament Research (CAR) supports this finding, disclosing that 75% of parts in one analyzed missile were sourced from US companies.

Experts suspect China as the key intermediary in these components' distribution. Damien Spleeters, deputy director of operations at CAR, noted that their investigations have traced some components back to Chinese companies.