Kyodo News reported on the 22nd, citing an IT security firm, that Lazarus, a hacking group known to be under North Korea's Reconnaissance General Bureau, appears to have launched cyberattacks against three European drone-related companies since late March.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un guides performance test of tactical unmanned attack aircraft. KCNA=Yonhap News

According to Slovak IT security firm ESET, the targets of the cyberattacks were companies involved in the manufacturing of parts and software for drones used as weapons by the Ukrainian military. Analysis of the malicious programs used in the attacks revealed similarities to attack techniques previously employed by Lazarus.

Kyodo News stated, "It is highly likely that the objective was to steal confidential information regarding drone development."

In relation to this, Heigo Sato, a professor at Japan's Takushoku University and an expert in military technology, explained North Korea's dispatch of troops to the Ukraine war, saying, "It appears they recognize the importance of drones and are rushing to modernize their weaponry."