Ukraine's Drone Warfare Ranked World's Best, Russian Forces Near Collapse as North Korea-Russia Ties Deepen

This means Ukraine has secured unmatched capability in developing and operating drone technology.

This demonstrates that the Ukrainian drone unit showed overwhelming strength against the US military.

The rise of drones is fundamentally changing the nature of war. Cho Eui-jun diagnosed that the concept of the front line has effectively disappeared. His analysis is that the focus of war is shifting toward using drones to destroy rear networks and shake the front lines.

Western countries do not want the war to escalate, so Ukraine is restraining its attacks. Cho Eui-jun explained that the West wants to confine the war to Ukrainian territory. He warned that if Ukraine were to destroy everything like Iran, a situation no one could stop could arise.

Cho Eui-jun explained that once Ukraine judges a new technology to be sound, it deploys it in the field within three months, and once its combat effectiveness is confirmed, it first produces 30% and then rapidly produces the remaining 70–80% for the front. This is a system in which the entire nation moves nimbly like a startup.

He explained that Russia's circumstances are that dire, and that Putin appears to judge that the time has come to end the war.

This is interpreted as reflecting the difficult reality Russia faces amid a prolonged war and international sanctions.

Analysis suggests that even if Russia mobilizes 500,000 troops, they will hardly matter militarily if they are not properly trained. Cho Eui-jun expressed skepticism about how much large numbers of untrained troops can contribute to actual fighting.

Cho Eui-jun explained that Russia is in a very urgent situation.

A claim has emerged that North Korea's additional troop deployment to Russia, reported last month at 30,000, could grow to as many as 50,000. According to a report by the Institute for National Security Strategy, North Korea is estimated to have earned about $11 billion from Russia over roughly two years and five months since the war in Ukraine began.

Analysis suggests Russia does not want its relations with South Korea to deteriorate. Cho Eui-jun said Russia is concerned about its growing dependence on China and that the Russian elite believe this should be avoided after the war. He added that South Korea could be the closest alternative after China for them, so Russia will not try to push relations with South Korea to the worst.

He added that because Japan is already keeping its distance from Russia, South Korea has become a strategically important alternative for Russia.

Considering North Korea's annual gross output of roughly $33–38 billion, earning $11 billion from Russia amounts to about one-third of its annual gross output, an astronomical income. This income is expected to flow into the coffers of the Kim Jong-un regime. In addition, North Korea will secure 50,000 troops who have received modern-warfare training. Cho Eui-jun analyzed that since these troops will gain real modern-warfare experience that the South Korean military has not had, North Korea's overall military level will improve significantly.

Cho Eui-jun explained that China had until now opposed North Korea's closeness with Russia, and that North Korea had been effectively under China's influence, conducting over 95% of its trade with China. However, he analyzed that this bridge opening expresses North Korea's confidence, in the sense of "If China won't help, we'll buy from Russia," and reflects the perception that Russia has become as important as China.

The advantages North Korea gains from its closeness with Russia span many areas. Most importantly, Russia, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, can exercise its veto. In fact, with the disappearance of the long-active Security Council panel monitoring sanctions on North Korea, North Korea has been able to evade sanctions monitoring. Cho Eui-jun explained that the closer North Korea gets to Russia, the more its diplomacy improves, its military strengthens, and it gains economic benefits, so there is nothing but upside for it.

Cho Eui-jun explained that transport by train can all be monitored by satellite, whereas vehicles simply pass through, making them far more convenient from a security standpoint. Considering this, he assessed that the bridge opening means North Korea-Russia relations have advanced not by one step but by roughly three or four steps.

China is uncomfortable with the closeness between North Korea and Russia, but analysis suggests it is not easy to press North Korea hard in the current situation. Cho Eui-jun explained that China itself is under pressure from the United States and others over supply-chain decoupling, and so it must consolidate its own camp. Therefore, he diagnosed, it is hard for China to press North Korea hard over a single bridge, and from many angles North Korea is seeing geopolitical opportunities open up.