North Korean submunitions were discovered on a drone used in the Ukraine attack last month, according to a new report, providing further insight into the extent to which North Korea is supporting Russia’s war effort against its Eastern European neighbor.
The modified submunitions, part of a larger weapon, were recovered by Ukrainian authorities after an attack on the port city of Kherson in September, according to the Conflict Arms Investigation (CAR), a UK-based research organization.
It had Korean writing on it, some of which referenced the Juche calendar, which counts years after the birth of North Korea’s founding leader Kim Il-sung.
According to these letters, the submunitions were manufactured in 89 Juche, or 2000 according to the Gregorian calendar, the report said.
CAR said it was originally designed for use with rocket artillery systems, but was modified to attach to first-person drones using wooden sticks, wire and duct tape.
The discovery “further confirms the direct and significant link between North Korea’s defense industry and the war in Ukraine,” the agency said.
CAR’s investigation comes as Russia rapidly expands drone production while stepping up drone attacks on Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure.
Russia is building a massive drone factory to pump out thousands of weapons, many not particularly fast or high-tech, but cheap enough that the Kremlin can launch hundreds a night.
Experts say the move was aimed at overwhelming Ukraine’s air defenses and demoralizing civilians.
Meanwhile, North Korea has also stepped up its weapons program in recent years, rapidly modernizing its arsenal, developing new weapons, and testing intercontinental ballistic missiles.
North Korea began sending large numbers of troops and equipment to Russia last year. In August, Ukrainian and U.S. intelligence agencies indicated that about 12,000 North Korean troops were stationed in Russia, with the first troops expected to be sent in the fall of 2024.
Western officials say about 4,000 soldiers from the initial deployment were killed or injured.
