North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for the mass production of "suicide drones," state media reported on Friday.

State news agency KCNA reported that Kim oversaw a drone test on Thursday, marking his second inspection of such a test this year.

During the test, Kim reportedly emphasized the urgency of ramping up the production of newly developed military drones, ordering their "full-scale mass production" to begin as early as possible.

This move comes after Kim's earlier demand in August for additional "suicide drones" - unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with explosives designed to be flown into enemy targets - to be used in tactical infantry and special operations units.

The U.S. State Department recently claimed that thousands of North Korean soldiers are actively fighting alongside Russian forces in the border region near Kursk, where they are engaged against Ukrainian troops.

South Korean intelligence reports further suggest that North Korea has deployed over 10,000 soldiers to Russia, in addition to supplying artillery ammunition to Russian forces.

The increasing military cooperation between the two countries has been solidified through a recently signed agreement, which includes a mutual defense pact.