CaliToday (20/10/2025): A disturbing new development in the Ukraine conflict has emerged, with credible reports indicating that North Korean-made cluster bombs have been found integrated into Russian attack drones. This discovery, if confirmed, marks a significant and alarming escalation in the military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, raising serious concerns about potential new war crimes and the disregard for international humanitarian law.
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| A previously unknown type of North Korean cluster bomb used as a warhead in a Russian drone was found near the city of Kherson (Ukraine) in September - Photo: CAR |
Sources close to Ukrainian military intelligence and independent arms observers have highlighted the presence of distinctively North Korean-manufactured submunitions within the payloads of Russian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). While the full scope of their deployment is still being assessed, initial reports suggest these weapons are being used against Ukrainian targets.
A Deepening, Illicit Alliance
The potential integration of North Korean cluster munitions into Russian drones signals a profound and increasingly brazen military alliance between Pyongyang and Moscow. This collaboration has been under intense international scrutiny for months, with Western intelligence agencies repeatedly warning that North Korea is supplying Russia with artillery shells, rockets, and potentially other military hardware to sustain its war effort in Ukraine.
In exchange, Russia is believed to be providing North Korea with advanced military technology, economic aid, and diplomatic support, helping Pyongyang bypass international sanctions.
This latest development, however, points to a more sophisticated and direct level of military integration than previously observed. The use of specialized munitions like cluster bombs in advanced platforms like drones suggests a deeper technical collaboration and a shared willingness to deploy weapons that cause widespread indiscriminate harm.
War Crime Concerns and International Outcry
The alleged use of North Korean cluster bombs by Russia would add another layer of potential war crimes to the ongoing conflict. Cluster munitions are inherently controversial and heavily restricted by international treaties due to their indiscriminate nature.
Indiscriminate Harm: Cluster bombs disperse dozens or hundreds of smaller submunitions over a wide area, making it extremely difficult to distinguish between combatants and civilians.
Unexploded Ordnance: A significant percentage of submunitions often fail to detonate on impact, leaving behind dangerous "dud" bombs that can act as landmines for years or decades, posing a lethal threat to civilian populations long after hostilities cease.
More than 120 countries are signatories to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which prohibits their use, production, transfer, and stockpiling. Neither Russia nor Ukraine (nor the United States, notably) are signatories to this convention, but their use is still viewed as a violation of customary international humanitarian law by many states and human rights organizations, especially when deployed in civilian areas.
The reports of North Korean cluster bombs in Russian drones are expected to trigger swift condemnation from the international community, particularly from the United States, the European Union, and their allies. It will likely lead to renewed calls for tightened sanctions against both Russia and North Korea, as well as investigations into potential breaches of international law.
This revelation underscores the grim reality of a war sustained by an expanding network of authoritarian alliances, where the disregard for civilian lives and international norms continues to deepen.
CaliToday.Net
