TAIPEI, Taiwan – A captured North Korean soldier told a South Korean lawmaker that he used a drone-jamming gun provided by the Russian military in fighting against Ukrainian forces.
It was the first confirmation of North Korean troops using such technology in Russia’s war against Ukraine and fuel concerns that they are gaining valuable knowledge of drone warfare that could be used in a conflict with South Korea.
The soldier, identified as Ri, was among an estimated 12,000 North Korean troops sent to Russia’s Kursk region to combat Ukrainian forces, who occupied parts of the area in August. Ri was captured in Kursk and is now being held in Ukraine.
Neither Russia nor North Korea has acknowledged the presence of the North Korean troops on the battlefield..
During an interview with the South Korean lawmaker, Yoo Yong-won, who recently visited Ukraine, Ri said his company had six drone jamming guns, but they were not that effective.
“At first, the drones fell easily, but it seems the Ukrainians changed the frequency. After that, it didn’t work as well,” Ri told Yoo, who revealed part of his interview to the Yonhap News Agency on Friday.
Yoo said the devices were provided by Russia, and this indicated that North Korean soldiers were learning more about drones and gaining knowledge that could become a “direct threat” to South Korea.
“North Korean troops are gaining real combat experience through their deployment, shedding blood, and suffering heavy losses. They are also accumulating knowledge about drone warfare through trial and error,” said Yoo.
“If a significant number of North Korean soldiers return home alive, they could pose a direct threat to us in a future conflict.”
Reports suggest North Korean troops in Kursk are suffering heavy casualties due to relentless Ukrainian drone strikes. Lacking effective countermeasures, they are struggling to defend their positions as drones target them with precision, worsening their battlefield losses.
Ri also told Yoo that there were seven Russian officials directly working with his company who served as a bridge between Russian authorities and the North Korean soldiers.
“They maintained communication with their authorities, coordinated artillery support when needed, guided us through unfamiliar terrain, and provided rear logistics support. They also conducted drone reconnaissance and shared the gathered intelligence with us,” said Ri.
Reports about Ri’s comments came a few days after South Korea’s main spy agency said it had intelligence indicating that North Korean troops dispatched to Russia were receiving drone training from Russian forces.
The South’s National Intelligence Service said on Wednesday that it was closely monitoring the “possibility” of North Korea-Russia cooperation in drone technology and production.
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In February, Japan’s public broadcaster NHK reported that North Korea was set to produce multiple types of drones this year in collaboration with Russia. It said Moscow had agreed to provide technical support to Pyongyang in exchange for its military assistance in the fighting against Ukrainian forces.
The two countries have reached an agreement under which Russia will provide technical assistance to North Korea for the development and mass production of various types of drones, the broadcaster reported, citing multiple unidentified sources.
Ri’s testimony echoed what the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War think tank reported last month, that Russia may be providing drone and missile technology to North Korea in exchange for North Korean troops fighting in Kursk.
The think tank reported at that time that the North was using the war against Ukraine as a testing ground for its own military capabilities.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also warned in February that Russia was deliberately transferring “modern technology” to North Korea, including drone technology.
Edited by Mike Firn.