North Korea upgrades ballistic missiles and begins mass-producing drones with Russian help

North Korea is modernising its armed forces and weaponry with Russian assistance, according to a report by The New York Times. Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Pyongyang and Moscow have renewed their military cooperation: the Russians share their battlefield experience and developments, and in return receive soldiers, workers and weapons.

Missile test

In early October, North Korea tested a tactical ballistic missile that it says can carry a nuclear warhead. South Korea and Japan estimated that the missile flew about 700 kilometres, while North Korea claimed a range of 1,000 kilometres.

Five days after that launch, South Korea test-fired its own hypersonic ballistic missile for the first time, with President Lee Jae Myung observing. The newspaper reads this as a sign that Seoul is growing increasingly uneasy about the rapid progress of North Korean missile technology.

Russia's contribution

Analyst Anton Ponomarenko notes that Pyongyang has access to Russian data on how weapons are used in combat, along with feedback. This has helped improve the accuracy and manoeuvrability of its weapons, making the threat to South Korea more substantial. Russia has also helped North Korea develop its own unmanned systems and produce them in large numbers.

The NYT explains that Pyongyang has drawn lessons from the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East: inexpensive drones can overwhelm costly air defence systems. In a North Korean drill last month, a drone swarm attacked a target island while cruise and ballistic missiles struck simultaneously from different directions. The paper argues that such tactics will eventually force South Korea and its allies to redesign their air defences at very high cost.

Earlier reports

Bloomberg reported in September that Russia is involving North Korean citizens in military drone production, including at facilities in Alabuga, Tatarstan. Up to 25,000 North Koreans are believed to be working at Russian military plants. In addition, a North Korean missile forces unit that could be equipped with 120 ballistic missiles and six launchers for strikes against Ukraine has begun deploying in western Russia.

Ukrainska Pravda previously reported that in August Russia asked North Korea to supply KN-30 ballistic missiles. In June 2026, North Korea announced tests of a modernised 240mm multiple-launch rocket system, a tactical ballistic missile and a 155mm long-range artillery shell.