N. Korean missile used against Ukraine contained US, European parts: CNN

National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby speaks during the daily press briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House, Jan. 4, in Washington, D.C. North Korea has supplied Russia with ballistic missiles and missile launchers that were used in recent attacks on Ukraine, the White House said Jan. 4. "This is a significant and concerning escalation," Kirby said at the briefing. AFP-Yonhap

A North Korean ballistic missile that Russia fired against Ukraine last month contained many parts traced to companies in the United States and Europe, CNN reported Tuesday, citing a research report.

The Britain-based organization, Conflict Armament Research (CAR), produced the report that examined 290 components from remnants of a North Korean missile retrieved from Kharkiv in Ukraine, and discovered that 75 percent of the components were designed and sold by companies incorporated in the U.S., according to CNN.

The CAR report also showed that 16 percent of the missile's components were linked to companies incorporated in Europe and 9 percent to firms incorporated in Asia. The components in question primarily comprised the missile's navigation system and could be traced to 26 firms headquartered in the U.S., China, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland and Taiwan, CNN said.

Citing a CAR spokesperson, the news channel said that the report does not name the specific companies as there is no evidence that the firms deliberately shipped the parts to North Korea.

"The components were likely diverted somewhere in the vast global supply chain once the companies sold them to various international distributors," CNN said.

The report followed the White House' revelations that the North supplied Russia with several dozen ballistic missiles, some of which were used to strike targets in Ukraine at least on Dec. 30, Jan. 2 and Jan. 6.

In October, the White House also said that the North provided Russia with more than 1,000 containers of military equipment and munitions. (Yonhap)