Ukraine drone maker: North Korea's drone capabilities likely grew rapidly

TOKYO (Yonhap) -- Ukraine's leading drone manufacturer, which ranks first in intercepting Russian drones, has assessed that North Korea's drone warfare capabilities have likely grown rapidly.

The manufacturer suggested that South Korea and Japan should be wary of the possibility of North Korea jointly building a 'drone ecosystem' with Russia and China, citing Russia's drone technology being exported and utilized in its war with Iran.

Stanislav Grishin, co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) of Ukrainian drone maker General Chery, said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency on the sidelines of 'Drone Japan 2026,' Japan's largest drone expo held in Chiba Prefecture on the 4th, that he is "absolutely certain" that North Korea has received drone technology from Russia.

General Chery is an emerging Ukrainian defense company that has recently ranked first in 'Russian drone interception count' in the ongoing war.

Grishin visited Japan to discuss cooperation with the Japanese government, which is prioritizing the enhancement of its drone capabilities as a key aspect of its defense buildup.

He stated that Russia likely transferred drone warfare-related video information, databases, and strategies obtained from the war in Ukraine to North Korea, adding, "It is certain that the North Korean military has made tremendous progress in drone warfare through its combat experience."

Grishin also mentioned that he had seen videos of the North Korean military operating drones.

When asked if the drones in the videos appeared to be produced in North Korea, he emphasized, "It's not important where the drones were produced. What's important is that North Korea knows how to operate unmanned aerial vehicles in combat, whether they use Russian-made ones or the low-cost 'Shahed' suicide drones developed by Iran."

He further speculated that Russia, Iran, and China are actively sharing information on drone warfare, and North Korea has likely become a part of this.

"We are observing drone-related technologies in this war with the U.S. that Iran did not use in the past, which I see as proof that Russia has transferred drone tactics to Iran," Grishin said.

He noted that he is attempting to collaborate in the drone sector not only with Japan but also with the governments and industries of South Korea, but the South Korean side does not seem to perceive the seriousness of drone warfare to a great extent.

"I myself never dreamed that a war would actually break out on Ukrainian soil and the current horrific situation would unfold before the war with Russia," he said, advising that preparations for the worst-case scenario are necessary from a national security perspective.

Grishin also advised that building a supply chain within an allied drone ecosystem is more important than seeking low-cost drone solutions with high price competitiveness.

He added that a 'China Free' strategy for drones is important, stating, "We must also consider the scenario where the Chinese government and industry suddenly halt the supply of unmanned aerial vehicles or software sharing after we have heavily relied on Chinese drones."

The drone expo in Japan featured a large number of Taiwanese companies, reflecting the cooled Sino-Japanese relations following Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's remarks hinting at intervention in the event of a Taiwan contingency, unlike Chinese companies.

Roger Luo, director of the 'Taiwan UAS Group,' formed in Taiwan with the goal of building a global drone supply chain excluding Chinese components, pointed out, "Although Japan is striving for self-reliance in unmanned aerial vehicles, it still relies on Chinese-made products for most of its drones."

He also mentioned that building a de-Sinicized drone supply chain is a necessary task for both Japan and South Korea.

Officials from Japanese drone manufacturers participating in the expo, such as Terra Labo and Autonomy Dynamics, stated that while China still leads in drone manufacturing technology, Japan is also moving rapidly to build its own drone technology ecosystem.

Shoji Terayama, representative of ACSL, which has supplied over 600 reconnaissance drones 'Soten' to the Japanese Ministry of Defense, expressed his ambition to develop attack drones, saying, "Unmanned aerial vehicles that can only perform reconnaissance when attacked cannot play a role in defense."

The Japanese government is pursuing ways to utilize private drone technology, including from startups, for defense purposes to enhance its own drone capabilities, which lag behind China. Manufacturers such as Terra Drone and Prodrone, which are cooperating with the Japanese Ministry of Defense, also participated in the expo.