'Very dangerous moment' — Russia sharing jet-powered drone tech with North Korea, Zelensky says

President Volodymyr Zelensky disclosed at a press conference on October 4 that Russia has transferred jet-powered drone technology to North Korea, intensifying their defense partnership. This comes a week after Zelensky warned that Russia may enlist an additional 10,000 North Korean military personnel to fight alongside Russian troops against Ukraine.

Zelensky confirmed to journalists that Russia has indeed shared its new jet drone technology with Pyongyang. He emphasized that Russia and North Korea have a long history of weapons cooperation, including the provision of artillery and missiles to North Korea for use against Ukraine. Zelensky stated that he is not certain if Russia is also sharing its ballistic missile supplies with North Korea, but believes it to be likely.

The president likened the current situation to Russia's previous cooperation with Iran. In the early stages of the war, Iran aided Russia by providing the means to produce their Shahed attack drones. Later, when Iran faced attacks from the U.S. and Israel, Russia supplied drones to assist its ally. Russia has since upgraded its Shahed-type attack drones with high-speed, jet-powered versions, known as Geran-4 and Geran-5, which can travel at speeds up to 500 and 600 kilometers per hour, respectively.

These drones have been heavily utilized in aerial attacks on Ukrainian cities, accounting for approximately two-thirds of all drones launched in recent attacks on Kyiv.

The increased use of these jet-powered drones has significantly strained Ukraine's air defenses, which have already been heavily targeted by Russia's frequent ballistic missile strikes. In September, Zelensky announced that Russia plans to allocate $12 billion next year for the production of jet-powered drones and loitering munitions.