North Korea Tests New Anti-Aircraft Missile as Russian Security Chief Visits

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the test-firing of a new anti-aircraft missile system, state media KCNA reported on Friday, as per Al Jazeera.

The announcement coincided with the arrival of Russia’s Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu in Pyongyang for talks.

KCNA stated that the test confirmed the “highly reliable” nature of the new weapons system and indicated its ability to enhance the country’s combat response capabilities. The announcement follows the conclusion of annual joint military exercises between South Korea and the US, which North Korea has condemned as “a rehearsal of war of aggression.”

According to KCNA, the test, conducted by North Korea’s Missile Administration on Thursday, was intended to evaluate the performance of a system already in production. The report did not disclose the location of the test but noted that Kim Jong Un was accompanied by members of the Central Military Commission of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea.

Kim Jong Un reportedly stated that the test demonstrated that the Korean People’s Army would be equipped with another significant defense weapon system possessing “laudable combat performance.”

Photographs released by KCNA showed a missile launching and a midair explosion, along with images of Kim Jong Un observing the test.

Yonhap News Agency, citing an official from South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), reported that South Korea’s military was aware of a potential missile launch, which occurred around 9 am (00:00 GMT) on Thursday.

On Friday, Russia’s Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu arrived in Pyongyang for meetings with Kim Jong Un and other North Korean officials, Yonhap reported. Earlier this month, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko visited Pyongyang and met with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui.

Last year, South Korea’s national security adviser suggested that Russia had provided North Korea with anti-air missiles and air defense equipment in exchange for military support in its conflict with Ukraine.