The robot in the Poltava region contained microelectronics that could be traced to nine manufacturers in the USA, Switzerland, the UK, and the Netherlands. The parts are said to have been manufactured between 2021 and 2023, according to a report from the independent Ukrainian anti-corruption commission Nako.
If the information is correct, it is a clear violation of the sanctions imposed on Russia after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine – and against the Western sanctions that have long been in place against North Korea.
Moscow and Pyongyang have deepened their military cooperation after the sanctions. North Korea has delivered significant quantities of weapons to Russia, including grenades and robots.
Earlier in the week, South Korea's intelligence service Nis reported that North Korea had decided to send 12,000 soldiers, including special forces, to Russia's war of invasion.