North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has stressed the need to boost the development and production of "suicide drones," state media reported on Monday.
State news agency KCNA reported that Kim observed a performance test of various drones organized by the Drone Institute of the Academy of Defence Sciences in Pyongyang on Saturday.
Official photos showed white drones with X-shaped wings targeting and exploding against mock tanks, which, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap, resembled South Korean K-2 tanks.
According to KCNA, Kim said that it was necessary to develop and produce more "suicide drones" – unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with explosives designed to be flown into enemy targets – to be used in tactical infantry and special operation units.
The weapons test occurred amidst heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula as the United States and South Korea are conducting a large-scale military exercise to deter North Korea.
The North Korean Foreign Ministry criticized the military exercises as "provocative war exercises" and "a prelude to a nuclear war," while Washington and Seoul rejected Pyongyang's accusations.
Since the beginning of 2022, North Korea has significantly increased the scope of its weapons tests, including the testing of nuclear-capable missiles, and has stepped up its rhetoric against the US and South Korea, which Pyongyang considers to be enemy states. It has also intensified its military cooperation with Russia.
