Ukraine Finds Western Chips in Russian Missiles. It Looks Like North Korea is Involved

Ukrainian researchers have discovered Western-made integrated circuits in Russian missiles shot down over Ukrainian territory. In early June, Ukrainian technicians found chips made by U.S. companies Altera, owned by Intel, and Analog Devices in drones and missiles used by Russia to attack sites in Ukraine.

However, this time the situation has taken an interesting turn. According to Bloomberg, Ukrainian researchers have once again found Western-made semiconductors in Russian missiles, but these weapons are of North Korean origin. This indicates that North Korea is obtaining advanced Western-origin integrated circuits through parallel import channels and using them to develop weapons, which are then supplied to Russia.

According to Ukrainian technicians, these chips are essential for the missiles’ navigation and communication systems. In theory, export controls imposed by the U.S. and its allies should have prevented these chips from reaching North Korea, Russia, and China. Ukrainian researchers also noted that most of the chips identified in Russian weapons were from U.S. companies such as Analog Devices and Broadcom. Additionally, there were integrated circuits from Switzerland’s TRACO Electronic AG, the UK’s XP Power, and the Netherlands’ NXP Semiconductors.

U.S. Plans to Stop Russia’s Chip Supply for Good

Nvidia, AMD, Intel, and other processor and GPU designers are prohibited from exporting their most sophisticated integrated circuits to Russia. Since the invasion of Ukraine and the onset of sanctions, Russia has relied on countries like China, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates to help circumvent these sanctions and acquire critical chips—though not always the most advanced ones. The U.S. aims to put an end to these practices.

In June, John Kirby, the White House's national security communications adviser, announced that Washington would soon introduce new bans and export controls on Russia. This statement suggests that the government had already planned relevant measures and was close to implementing them. While the exact details of these new sanctions remain unclear, Reuters expects they will primarily target Russia’s parallel semiconductor import channels, likely focusing on China and North Korea.

The U.S. isn’t limiting its oversight to advanced integrated circuits produced within its borders. It’s expected to monitor the movement of chips produced by its allies, as it has done with China. The Netherlands, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan play crucial roles in preventing cutting-edge semiconductors from reaching Russia.

For the G7, weakening Putin’s war machine is critical, and one effective method is to deny Russia access to the advanced chips it needs for modern weapons. Russia’s trade with China and North Korea poses a threat to the U.S. and its allies. The upcoming U.S. sanctions are expected to target several Hong Kong-based Chinese companies that supply integrated circuits and other crucial goods to Russia, sustaining its war effort in Ukraine.

Image | Slejven Djurakovic (Unsplash)

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