According to a report from Newsweek on June 10, Kyrylo Budanov, a lieutenant general from the Ukrainian military intelligence department GUR, revealed that Russia will assist North Korea in establishing a base on the peninsula to produce Iran-designed “Witnesser-136” (also known as “Shahed”) suicide drones.
This cooperation is expected to alter the regional military balance between North Korea and South Korea.
Scholar William Alberque from the Henry L. Stimson Center, a former director of NATO arms control, disarmament, and mass destruction weapon proliferation, expressed deep concern over this development to Newsweek, stating, “This is very worrying.”
He warned that the collaboration in drones among Pyongyang, Moscow, and Tehran could lead to North Korea arming itself with “thousands, then tens of thousands, of attack drones ready for combat at any time. These drones have undergone real combat testing and have been integrated into combat systems. This poses a threat to South Korean security.”
The use of Iran’s “Witnesser-136” suicide drones launched by Russia has posed significant challenges to Ukrainian air defense due to their low speed and difficult detectability. Russia is currently capable of producing approximately 170 of these drones daily.
On June 4, Kim Jong Un met with Russian Security Council Secretary Shoigu in Pyongyang and pledged unconditional support for Russia in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Kim also expressed confidence in Russia’s victory in this more than three-year-long military operation.
The North Korean state news agency stated in a press release that Moscow and Pyongyang have agreed to “actively expand and develop” their relations, deepening their “strategic partnership.”
In June 2024, Russian President Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a mutual defense agreement.
Last year, North Korea became the first country to dispatch combat forces to the Russia-Ukraine battlefield and emerged as a primary supplier of ammunition and missiles to the Russian army. In return, Pyongyang received economic aid and assistance in weapons technology from Moscow, including advanced weapons like drones, submarines, and ballistic missiles.
This information was provided by the Newsweek report.