Russia gifts drones and supplies to North Korea in likely sanctions violation | NK News
NK News Logo
September 17, 2026Sep 17, 2026
NK News Logo

Get behind the headlines

Weapon Directory

News

Russia gifts drones and supplies to North Korea in likely sanctions violation

Reported weapons exchange during Kim Jong Un’s trip falls short of US predictions but may just be a first step
Ifang Bremer September 17, 2023
Copy Icon COPY LINK Mastodon Icon MASTODON
Russia gifts drones and supplies to North Korea in likely sanctions violation
Russian military drone operators | Image: Russian defense ministry

Russia reportedly gifted drones, military uniforms and bulletproof vests to North Korea, according to state-run TASS on Sunday, likely violating U.N. Security Council (USNC) sanctions in the process. 

Primorsky Krai governor Oleg Kozhemyako appeared to confirm the transaction on his official Telegram channel. In a video posted on Sunday, the governor said he would give North Korean leader Kim Jong Un six drones and a drone control system.

The five drones are kamikaze drones and a Geran-25 reconnaissance drone widely used by Russian forces in Ukraine, TASS stated.

© Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved.
No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group.

Weapon Directory

Get the Daily Update

Start your day with
the North Korea stories that matter most –

as selected by

daily-brush-stroke

Never miss a beat. Try the new mobile app.

Recent Stories

North Korea warns US-ROK WMD cooperation could trigger nuclear response
North Korea warns US-ROK WMD cooperation could trigger nuclear response
The UN Divide: How the two Koreas battled for decades over global legitimacy
The UN Divide: How the two Koreas battled for decades over global legitimacy
Kim Yo Jong slams IAEA critics, says North Korea’s nuclear status is ‘absolute’
Kim Yo Jong slams IAEA critics, says North Korea’s nuclear status is ‘absolute’

About the Author

Ifang Bremer

Ifang Bremer

Ifang Bremer is a former Seoul Correspondent at NK News. He has worked on investigations for The Guardian and The Observer and previously wrote features on Korea for Dutch newspaper NRC.

View more articles by Ifang BremerEMAILTwitterGot a news tip?Let us know!
© 2026, Korea Risk Group (NK Consulting Inc.). All Rights Reserved