New revelations: North Korean missiles with Western tech used in Ukraine

"North Korean weapons kill Ukrainians" – reads the material published on the BBC website. The author, Jean Mackenzie, points out a few important details concerning the use of weapons manufactured in North Korea by Russians.

The BBC recalls an incident from the early days of 2024 in Ukraine. On the 1st of January, the local arms inspector, Krystyna Kimachuk, discovered that a missile, previously unseen at the front, was found in Kharkiv. It was promptly decided to examine every component of the missile. Kimachuk recommended dismantling what remained after the shelling, down to the last screw.

During the analysis of the Russian missile, engineers encountered an intriguing detail. On one of the missile's components, a letter from the Korean alphabet was found. The further they went, the more evidence confirmed the suspicion that the missile, which had hit Ukraine, was produced in North Korea.

On a part of the shell, the stamped number 112 was found, which – as the BBC explains – due to the so-called Juche calendar used in North Korea, signifies the year 2023. This is a clear indication that the found missile was brand new – manufactured shortly before it was delivered to Russia and fired towards Kharkiv.

The study conducted on the missile produced in North Korea and found in Ukraine also showed that the ammunition is equipped with the most modern Western electronics and other components from both Europe and the USA, enabling the missile to function.

Furthermore, it is crucial to note that the Russians are believed to have a significant stockpile of weapons from North Korea. Experts from the British think-tank RUSI estimate that nearly 7000 containers, holding over one million artillery shells and missiles, might have been sent to Russia last year. This allows the Russians to conduct attacks using tactics that involve the mass bombings of multiple sites simultaneously.

The BBC publication also mentions that North Korea's production capabilities are quite impressive, estimated at several hundred missiles annually for a single facility. However, it's important to highlight that Pyongyang continues to access Western technologies, enabling its defence industry to produce such weapons.

In the context of Russia's cooperation with North Korea, both states deny having common interests. However, analysts, based on satellite images, have proven that a Russian ship recently appeared in a North Korean port, where containers with unknown contents were loaded onto it.

Regarding the Pyongyang missiles used by the Russians, mainly these are KN-23 missiles (Hwasong-11Ga), which started being produced in 2018. The wreckage of this particular missile had been previously discovered in Ukraine. These missiles, visually similar to the Russian Iskandery-M, are about 9 meters in length and about 1 meter in diameter. They are powered by the same unit used in the older KN-11 design, but the maximum speed of the KN-23 is not disclosed.

What is known, however, is that the Hwasong-11Ga can reach a distance of nearly 1000 kilometres from the launch site. The attack's precision (accuracy estimated at around 35 meters) is achieved through an inertial navigation system. The weight of the warhead of this Korean missile is not precisely known, but estimates suggest it could weigh about 500 kilograms (for both nuclear and conventional warheads).