Debris recovered from a missile strike in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv has been identified as belonging to a North Korean Hwasong-11 ballistic missile, according to a 32-page report by United Nations sanctions monitors. This finding, which suggests a violation of international sanctions on Pyongyang, has raised serious concerns about arms procurement and international security.
The debris from the missile, which landed on January 2, 2024, has been under scrutiny by UN experts who stated that “debris recovered from a missile that landed in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on 2 January 2024 derives from a DPRK Hwasong-11 series missile.” The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), under sanctions since 2006 for its ballistic missile and nuclear programs, is prohibited from exporting arms under a comprehensive international embargo.
Three UN sanctions monitors traveled to Ukraine earlier in April to inspect the debris and determined there was no evidence the missile was of Russian manufacture. However, they were unable to independently verify the launch’s origin or identify who was responsible. Information provided by Ukrainian authorities suggests the missile was launched from within the territory of the Russian Federation, raising the possibility that Russian nationals may have procured the missile in contravention of the embargo.
The Russian and North Korean missions to the UN in New York have not responded to requests for comments on the findings. The revelation comes amid accusations by the United States and others that North Korea has been transferring weapons to Russia for use in the conflict against Ukraine. Both Russia and North Korea have previously denied such accusations, despite having pledged last year to deepen military cooperation.
The UN monitors’ report comes at a critical time as the mandate for the current panel of experts, which has monitored the enforcement of sanctions on North Korea for 15 years, is set to expire. Russia vetoed the annual renewal of these monitors, adding to the complications of tracking international compliance with UN sanctions.
Relevant articles:
– Debris from North Korean missile found in Kharkiv, say UN sanctions monitors, theguardian.com, 04/30/2024
– UN monitors say North Korean missile struck Ukraine’s Kharkiv, Al Jazeera English, 04/30/2024
– UN experts say North Korea missile landed in Kharkiv, Yahoo! Voices, 04/29/2024
– UN confirms that Russia violated sanctions and hit Kharkiv with North Korean missile, Ukrainska Pravda, 04/29/2024