Pyongyang's Drone Surge: North Korea Expands Military Output With Russian Support
New York Times reporting details how Moscow’s technology transfer is enabling mass drone production and missile upgrades in North Korea.
By Jason Kovalenko ·
North Korea has begun mass-producing attack drones and refining its ballistic missile capabilities, a shift driven by deepening cooperation with Russia, according to a report from The New York Times. The newspaper details how Moscow is sharing military developments with Pyongyang in exchange for soldiers, workers, and weapons.
This exchange marks a renewal of military ties that accelerated after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Since that point, North Korea has modernized its armed forces using Russian assistance. The partnership now includes the transfer of deployment data and feedback, which analysts say has improved the accuracy and maneuverability of North Korean weapons.
In early October, Pyongyang tested a tactical ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear payload. South Korean and Japanese officials estimated the flight distance at approximately 700 kilometers, while North Korea claimed a range of 1,000 kilometers. In response, South Korea conducted its first test-fire of a hypersonic ballistic missile five days later.
President Lee Jae Myung observed the South Korean launch. The New York Times described this action as a sign that Seoul is increasingly uneasy about the rapid progress in North Korean missile technology. Analyst Anton Ponomarenko noted that access to Russian data has made the threat to South Korea more substantial by enhancing the precision of North Korean systems.
Russia has also assisted North Korea in building unmanned systems for large-scale production. The newspaper noted that Pyongyang has observed how inexpensive drones can overwhelm costly air defense systems in Ukraine and the Middle East. During a drill last month, a North Korean drone swarm attacked a target island simultaneously with cruise and ballistic missiles fired from different directions.
Bloomberg reported in September that up to 25,000 North Korean citizens are working at Russian military plants, including facilities in Alabuga, Tatarstan, to produce military drones. A North Korean missile unit equipped with 120 ballistic missiles and six launchers has begun deploying in western Russia for potential strikes against Ukraine.
The New York Times argued that these evolving tactics will force South Korea and its allies to redesign their air defenses at considerable cost. This report follows previous announcements, including a June 2026 test of a modernized 240mm multiple-launch rocket system and a 155mm long-range artillery shell.
