KHARKIV, Ukraine, Jan 6 (Reuters) - The Kharkiv region prosecutor’s office provided further evidence on Saturday that Russia attacked Ukraine with missiles supplied by North Korea, showcasing the fragments.
A senior adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday that Russia hit Ukraine this week with missiles supplied by North Korea for the first time during its invasion.
Dmytro Chubenko, spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office, said the missile, one of several that hit the city of Kharkiv on Jan. 2, was visually and technically different from Russian models.
“The production method is not very modern. There are deviations from standard Iskander missiles, which we previously saw during strikes on Kharkiv. This missile is similar to one of the North Korean missiles,” Chubenko told media as he displayed the remnants.
I mean, what could they really ship NK that they aren’t using themselves? They’re trying to tool up their own defense industry (poorly, I might add) while breaking out T-55s for rear-guard work. Most likely they gave NK food or raw materials.
Technology? Designs for weapons, staff to help oversee development, etc.
What new designs can Russia provide that North Korea isn’t doubly-screwed on getting the components for? Staff, maybe, but even that’s pretty limited in its usefulness. North Korea’s fundamental isolation is core to its technology backwardness. I guess I just don’t see how one resource-strapped pariah state giving limited help to another, even more hated resource-strapped pariah state can significantly shift the balance of power. But I suppose it’ll all come out after the war. Or even during.
I’d think NK learnt its lesson from the 1990s about food. I guess, NK is interested in goods that aren’t easily made at home and isn’t already being supplied by China. Latter condition somewhat cancels out bulk goods.
I’d tip on infrastructure building.
China is only interested in subsidizing NK so far, though, and though NK is nowhere near the starvation level it was in the 90s, it’s also far from food secure. You may be right, suggesting that Russia’s help is in infrastructure building.