N. Korean Missile Engines Purchased Illicitly From Ukrainian Plant: Study

The new study published by a global think tank has revealed that North Korea’s success in testing intercontinental ballistic missiles that is capable of reaching the United States was made possible by black-market purchases of powerful rocket engines reportedly from a Ukrainian factory.

Michael Elleman, a missile engineer and analyst for the International Institute of Strategic Studies, said in a report published on Monday that two new long-range missiles (Hwasong-12 and Hwasong-14) unveiled by Kim Jon-un's regime this year appeared to be powered by a specially modified version of the RD-250, an engine previously used in Soviet ICBMs.

The RD-250 was designed and built by Yuzhmash, in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro, and Energomash, a Russian rocket building company, for use in Cold War era nuclear missiles. Russia bought the engine from Yuzhmash for use in Tsiklon-2 satellite carrying rockets at least until 2007.

“An unknown number of these engines were probably acquired though illicit channels operating in Russia and/or Ukraine. North Korea’s need for an alternative to the failing Musudan and the recent appearance of the RD-250 engine along with other evidence, suggests the transfers occurred within the past two years,” the study says.

However, the Ukrainian government has denied the accusations stating that its probably Russian propaganda. 

"This information is not based on any grounds, provocative by its content, and most likely provoked by Russian secret services to cover their own crimes," said Oleksandr Turchynov, the chairman of Ukraine's Security and Defence Council was quoted as saying The Telegraph.