Seoul’s spy agency reveals North Korean forces learning drone tactics in Russia

On March 5, South Korea's intelligence agency revealed that North Korean soldiers sent to Russia for the Ukraine war are receiving drone training from Moscow.

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) made this assessment amidst rising concerns that Russia may have provided North Korea with drone-related technology in exchange for Pyongyang’s military assistance to Moscow’s war efforts, Caliber.Az reports via South Korean news agency.

"As there is a sign that North Korean troops dispatched to Russia have been learning drone operations and tactics from Moscow, we are monitoring possible drone cooperation between the two sides," the NIS stated.

In addition to supplying ammunition and conventional weaponry, North Korea has sent approximately 11,000 troops to the Kursk region of Russia since October to assist in the ongoing conflict. The NIS also noted last week that North Korea seems to have deployed additional forces to Russia.

North Korea has been intensifying its efforts to develop unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), including multi-purpose attack drones. Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, had ordered the rapid mass production of suicide attack drones as early as November last year.

Meanwhile, North Korea is set to begin drone production this year with technical support from Russia, according to Japanese broadcaster NHK. This initiative follows a strategic partnership established between the two countries in 2023, marking a deepening military alliance.

The agreement will enable North Korea to develop and mass-produce various drones, potentially as a response to its deployment of soldiers in support of Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Sources suggest that the drone collaboration is a reciprocal gesture after North Korea sent approximately 8,000 soldiers to fight alongside Russian forces in Kursk Oblast, with up to 12,000 troops reportedly deployed last fall to assist in countering Ukrainian advances.

This growing cooperation includes trade, investment, and broader political and security engagements, further solidifying Russia and North Korea's military ties.

By Aghakazim Guliyev