Recently published photos from North Korea show Kim Jong Un posing at a factory surrounded by dozens of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that have silhouettes almost identical to the Iranian Shahed-136, which is used by Russia under the name 'Geranium-2'. Other types of small strike drones, resembling Russian 'Lancets' or Israeli Harop/Hero, are also present in the images.
It is currently impossible to determine the exact origin of these drones, as Pyongyang does not disclose their specifications. However, the context of the situation is intriguing.
Over the past year, there have been reports of North Korea receiving Russian technologies and expertise in drone manufacturing. In particular, North Korean workers have been linked to a factory producing 'Shaheds/Geraniums' in Yelabuga.
Additionally, in 2025, Kyrylo Budanov stated that Moscow and Pyongyang had agreed to launch the production of 'Geraniums' and 'Harpy' directly in North Korea.