The head of a research organization that has been tracing weapons used in attacks in Ukraine since 2018 told the United Nations Security Council on Friday that the organization has "irrefutably" established that ballistic missile remnants found in Ukraine came from North Korea.
The United States and its Western allies clashed with Russia and North Korea at the meeting, stating that both countries violated a U.N. embargo on arms exports from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the country's official name. Russia dismissed the "baseless accusations," and the DPRK dismissed the meeting as "an extremely brazen act" to discuss "someone's alleged 'weapon transfers.'"
Jonah Leff, the executive director of Conflict Armament Research, provided the council with a detailed analysis of the remnants of the missile that struck Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, on January 2. He stated that the organization documented the missile's rocket motor, its tail section, and almost 300 components manufactured by 26 companies from eight countries and territories, and determined that the missile was either a KN-23 or KN-24 manufactured in 2023 in the DPRK.
The organization reached its conclusion based on the missile's unique characteristics, including its diameter, distinct jet vane actuators that direct the missile's thrust and trajectory, the pattern around the igniter, the presence of Korean characters on some rocket components, and other marks and components dating back to 2023.
“Following the initial documentation, our teams inspected three additional identical DPRK missiles that struck Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia earlier this year,” Leff said. They also observed additional conventional weapons, including an artillery rocket produced in 1977, “that had been seized on the front lines and had not been observed on the battlefield previously in Ukraine” that were manufactured by the DPRK, and might have been part of a recent larger consignment of rockets.
The council discussed illegal arms transfers from North Korea at the request of France, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The meeting followed Russia’s March 28 veto that ended the monitoring of sanctions against North Korea over its expanding nuclear program by a U.N. panel of experts. The U.S. and its European and Asian allies accused Moscow of seeking to avoid scrutiny as it allegedly violates sanctions to buy weapons from Pyongyang for its war in Ukraine.
U.N. disarmament chief Izumi Nakamitsu told the council Friday that before its mandate expired, the panel of experts was reviewing a report from Ukraine on missile debris it recovered “following information about short-range ballistic missiles manufactured in the DPRK and used by Russian armed forces in Ukraine.”
While the mandate of the experts, which had been extended since 2009 with Russia’s support, was terminated, Nakamitsu said “it is important to note” that the Security Council committee responsible for monitoring the implementation of sanctions against the DPRK “continues its work and will oversee the implementation of the sanctions regime.”
U.S. Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood called Leff’s presentation with its many technical details “quite compelling,” and told the council that while Russia may have ended the panel’s monitoring with China’s “tacit support,” the briefing showed that Moscow and Beijing “cannot prevent the public from learning about the unlawful arms transfers occurring between the DPRK and Russia.”
Wood emphasized that as a permanent member of the Security Council, Russia must maintain and reinforce international peace and security. However, he pointed out that Russia is firing ballistic missiles, acquired unlawfully from the DPRK, at the Ukrainian population.
Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia criticized the Western sponsors of the meeting for allegedly using the Security Council as a platform to promote an anti-Russian and anti-North Korean agenda, spreading unfounded accusations to divert attention from their destabilizing actions in the region.
He dismissed the allegations of Russia using DPRK missiles in Ukraine as completely untrue, casting doubt on the competence and professionalism of those who inspected the crash site in Ukraine.
Nebenzia accused the United States of continuously increasing its military presence in the Asia-Pacific region and warned that Washington's policy of "extended deterrence" along Russia's eastern border not only poses a significant threat to the DPRK but also to Russia itself.
China’s deputy U.N. ambassador, Geng Shuang, expressed concern about the potential impact of further instability on the Korean peninsula on peace and security in northeast Asia. He urged all parties to approach the situation with reason and practicality, emphasizing the need for collaboration to de-escalate tensions.
Geng also emphasized China’s commitment to contributing to sustainable peace and stability in the region, calling on the United States to shift its approach and engage in unconditional dialogue. In response, U.S. envoy Wood urged China to leverage its influence with the DPRK and Russia to address the security challenges posed by their actions.
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