North Korea is likely to produce drones co-developed with Russia as early as this year, according to sources cited by the Japanese broadcaster NHK, reports UNN.
Details
According to NHK, "it is expected that North Korea will start producing unmanned aerial vehicles that will be jointly developed with Russia this year".
Several sources familiar with Russian-North Korean relations told NHK that these two countries have reached an agreement under which North Korea will receive technical assistance from Russia to develop several types of drones for mass production.
The likely agreement was reached against the backdrop of strengthening military ties between Moscow and Pyongyang. Last year, the parties concluded an agreement on a comprehensive strategic partnership.
According to sources, the agreement on the development of drones was concluded in response to the dispatch of North Korean servicemen to Russia, which continues its invasion of Ukraine.
Meanwhile, sources said that Russia is not inclined to provide North Korea with support in the development of nuclear weapons. According to the sources, Moscow is concerned that factors such as Pyongyang's nuclear tests could complicate North Korea's relations with the United States, as well as with North Korea's neighbors, including China.
Supplement
In November 2024, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un observed the testing of the characteristics of the so-called suicide drone and ordered the development of a system for the mass production of this weapon.