Pyongyang accelerates missile and drone modernisation through experience from the war in Ukraine

The impact of Russian experience on North Korean weapons

Deepening military cooperation between North Korea and Russia is leading to a significant strengthening of Pyongyang's army. According to experts, the combat experience gained during the Russia-Ukraine war allows North Korean engineers to improve the characteristics of ballistic missiles and strike unmanned aerial vehicles. This could complicate the defence of South Korea and US forces on the Korean Peninsula.

As reported by The New York Times, interaction with Moscow gives North Korea the opportunity to study the application of weapons in real combat conditions. In exchange for supplying weapons and sending military contingents to support Russia in the war against Ukraine, Pyongyang can test its own developments, analyse the results of missile use, and refine drone tactics.

Testing new missile systems

In early October, North Korea launched a ballistic missile from the country's east coast. Shin Chong Woo, head of the Korea Forum for Defence and Security in Seoul, suggested that this test may indicate that the development of a hypersonic weapon system is nearing completion.

Anton Ponomarenko, a researcher at the Pacific Forum, believes that the experience of military cooperation with Russia may have helped North Korea increase the accuracy and manoeuvrability of missile warheads.

Development of mass production of strike drones

A separate important area of modernisation is the development of unmanned systems. Pyongyang is studying the experience of the war in Ukraine and conflicts in the Middle East, where inexpensive drones are used to overload air defence systems and bypass their capabilities.

During last month's exercises, North Korean drones attacked a training target simultaneously with missile strikes from different directions. Photos published after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's September visit to the relevant enterprise indicate the establishment of mass drone production.

According to Ukrainian officials, Russia has involved approximately 12,000 North Korean workers in the production of "Geran" drones in Tatarstan. It was also reported that Russian officers were sent to North Korea to train UAV operators.

An international sanctions monitoring group warned that the expansion of North Korean citizens' participation in Russian defence projects increases the risk of transferring sensitive military technologies to Pyongyang.

Threat to the nuclear deterrence strategy

Experts fear that the deepening of military ties between Russia and North Korea could strengthen not only North Korea's conventional armed forces but also its nuclear potential.

Lami Kim, a researcher at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, believes that Pyongyang's ability to deliver more convincing nuclear strikes on US territory could complicate the guarantee of US protection for South Korea.

In her assessment, such a development could cast doubt on the effectiveness of the US strategy of extended nuclear deterrence in East Asia.