Debris found after a missile strike on Kharkiv on Jan. 2 came from a North Korean Hwasong-11 series ballistic missile, according to a U.N. sanctions committee report issued on April 29 and viewed by Reuters.
Both Ukrainian and U.S. officials have previously said that Russia has been using North Korean-produced missiles to attack Ukraine. South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik also said that Russia is likely purchasing more advanced missiles from North Korea that could be used on the battlefield in Ukraine.
According to the U.N. report, inspectors concluded that Russia used missiles procured from North Korea in a strike on Kharkiv that killed at least three people and injured dozens more.
The inspectors said that fragments "recovered from a missile that landed in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Jan. 2, 2024, derives from a DPRK (North Korean) Hwasong-11 series missile"
Having studied the missile fragments in a field investigation in Kharkiv, the inspectors "found no evidence that the missile was made by Russia."
Russia's purchase of North Korean missiles is a violation of U.N. sanctions.
North Korea has been shaping up as Russia's leading weapons supplier, reportedly providing Moscow with extensive military packages, including ballistic missiles and over 3 million artillery shells.
There have also been concerns about what Russia may be providing North Korea in return for the shipments of military hardware and ammunition. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has warned that Russia has been assisting North Korea in upgrading its military capabilities, potentially including ballistic missiles and nuclear technology.
Dinara Khalilova
