North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ordered the "mass production" of explosive drones to be prioritized, the North's official news agency KCNA reported Friday, as his country is accused of sending troops and weapons to Russia to help it in its war on Ukraine.
The agency said that while attending a test of the performance of such equipment at a factory on Thursday, Kim stressed the "necessity of building a mass production system as soon as possible and moving to mass production" of explosive drones.
The explosive-laden drones, which Pyongyang first unveiled in August, are designed to deliberately crash into enemy targets, similar to guided missiles.
Experts believe that the drones may be the result of the country strengthening its alliance with Russia.
The agency confirmed that during the test on Thursday, the drones hit their targets "accurately" after following pre-determined paths.
The agency noted that "the suicide attack drones used to launch strikes at different distances are tasked with accurately attacking all enemy targets on land and at sea."
Kim said the drones were an "easy-to-use item" due to their relatively low production costs and wide range of applications, the agency reported.
He said North Korea had "recently attached importance" to developing unmanned equipment systems and integrating them into the country's overall military strategy.
Experts said the drones, which were photographed by state media in August, resembled the Russian-made Lancet 3, as well as the Israeli-made Harop suicide drone and the Israeli Hero 30.
North Korea may have acquired the technology from Russia, which is suspected of having obtained it from Iran. Tehran is likely to have hacked or stolen it from Israel.
The announcement comes amid tensions between South Korea and North Korea, which recently launched what is described as the most advanced missile in its arsenal.
In 2022, North Korea launched drones towards South Korea, five of which managed to cross the border, prompting the South Korean military to fire warning shots and deploy warplanes, which only managed to shoot down one drone.
Seoul accuses Pyongyang of violating its sovereignty by sending drones to drop propaganda, and Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, told AFP that Pyongyang may be "suggesting the possibility of using balloons to drop leaflets in the South with such drones."
He pointed out that "given the effectiveness of drone attacks in the war in Ukraine, they could also be used" in this conflict.
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