When Russian drones show up in North Korea

North Korea is sending increasing numbers of workers to Russia's premier drone factory, located at the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in the Republic of Tatarstan. The Yelabuga Drone Factory produces Geran drones.

The development comes as North Korea continues to assert its nuclear status. Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korea's leader, called those hoping for the country's denuclearisation "idiots". According to Channel News Asia, Kim Yo Jong accused the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of double standards after it adopted a resolution criticising Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programme.

North Korea has dismissed a UN atomic watchdog resolution that renewed demands to halt nuclear activities, saying it has "no effect" because Pyongyang is not an IAEA member. A foreign ministry spokesman said the country's position as a nuclear weapons state is "guaranteed by the actual nuclear deterrent and irreversibly and permanently fixed by the supreme law of the state".

Brief written by urgent.news from Asia Times, Free Malaysia Today, Channel News Asia — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.