North Korea announces the start of the fourth stage of test launches.
North Korea says it has tested cruise missiles with “ultra-large” warheads and a new type of anti-aircraft missile. Sky News writes about this.
The publication notes that these tests took place at a time when, according to analysts, anti-aircraft missile technology is an area where North Korea could benefit from deepening military cooperation with Russia. In particular, the two countries are uniting in the face of their separate confrontation with the US, which is intensifying.
“This comes a day after South Korea’s military said it spotted North Korea launching multiple cruise missiles into waters off its west coast,” the article said.
North Korea’s official Central News Agency did not specify the number of missiles tested or details of their operation, but noted that the cruise missiles had “ultra-large” warheads and were tested as part of the country’s “routine military development activities” and did not affect the security of its neighbors.
“The cruise missiles are among North Korea’s growing collection of weapons designed to penetrate regional missile defenses. They complement the country’s extensive line of ballistic missiles, including long-range weapons aimed at the continental United States,” the authors write.
The publication recalls that in January North Korea conducted two tests of a new cruise missile designed to be launched from submarines, which leader Kim Jong Un called a significant step towards his goal of creating a nuclear-armed navy.
“North Korea also tested a long-range cruise missile that it described as capable of carrying nuclear weapons and capable of reaching a range of up to 1,240 miles, potentially making US military bases in Japan accessible. This test of the cruise missile follows the launch of a new solid-fueled medium-range missile on Jan. 14, highlighting North Korea’s efforts to develop weapons that could target U.S. bases in the Pacific, including the military hub of Guam.
They summarize that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s long-term goal is to get the US to accept the idea of North Korea as a nuclear power and negotiate security concessions and “easing sanctions from a position of strength.”
North Korean missiles and the war in Ukraine
At the end of January, the Russian Federation hit Kyiv with a ballistic missile from the DPRK. Its wreckage was found by residents of the capital, who photographed it.
Earlier, the intelligence of the United States of America reported that during the New Year holidays, Russia hit Ukraine with ballistic missiles from the DPRK.
