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.