A leather-clad Kim Jong Un was seen pumping his fist in the air as he oversaw a live-fire exercise with a series of “newly equipped super-large” rocket launchers, after being seen in cruising in a limousine that Vladimir Putin had given him. .
This came after North Korea fired several ballistic missiles while US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was visiting Seoul, the first time in two months that the dictator had launched such weapons .
The new state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the rocket launch exercises, led by North Korea’s Western Region artillery unit, tested “real war capabilities” huge 23-inch multiple rocket launchers.
“They fully demonstrated their excellent artillery marksmanship and rapid and thorough combat preparation,” KCNA said.
The dictator told troops present at the launch that the new missiles would provide a “central strike asset” in the event of war.
“The destructive offensive means available to our army must more thoroughly fulfill their missions aimed at blocking and suppressing the possibility of war, with constant perfect preparation for the collapse of the enemy’s capital and the structure of its military forces,” he said.
A leather-clad Kim Jong Un (pictured, left) was seen raising his fist in the air as he oversaw a live-fire exercise with a series of “newly equipped super-large” rocket launchers .
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un gestures as he leads fire division training, North Korea
The dictator told troops present at the launch that the new missiles would provide a “central strike asset” in the event of war.
Kim was seen wearing a leather jacket as he watched the military exercise
Late last week, he was seen riding in a luxury limousine given to him by fellow dictator Vladimir Putin.
Late last week he was seen in a luxury limousine given to him by fellow dictator Vladimir Putin.
The Aurus Senat limousine was sent to him in February after being presented to him during a visit to Russia in September.
Kim’s sister and senior official Kim Yo Jong said: “The special function of the private car is perfect and can be completely trusted.”
“Kim Jong Un’s use of the private car given by the President of the Russian Federation as a gift is a clear proof of (North Korea)-Russia friendship, which is comprehensively developing on a new high stage .”
South Korea on Monday accused Kim Jong Un of directly aiding Russia’s invasion efforts against Ukraine by providing about 7,000 containers full of military aid and munitions since last year.
Fuel shortages have likely forced North Korea to reduce winter training activities for its soldiers in recent years.
South Korea on Monday accused Kim Jong Un of directly aiding Russia’s invasion efforts in Ukraine.
In exchange for sending several million artillery shells and other supplies, North Korea received more than 9,000 Russian containers likely filled with aid.
North Korea’s Western Region Artillery Unit ultra-large rocket salvo firing exercise, at an unconfirmed location in North Korea
In exchange, North Korea may have received much-needed food, economic and military aid to modernize Kim’s forces, according to South Korean officials and private experts. Moscow and Pyongyang have denied the existence of an arms deal between the two countries.
At a news conference in Seoul, South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik said the military believes the North, after initially relying on ships, is increasingly using its networks railways to send weapons to Russia via its land border.
In exchange for sending several million artillery shells and other supplies, North Korea received more than 9,000 Russian containers likely filled with aid, Shin said.
He raised suspicions that Russia may be supplying fuel to North Korea, perhaps in defiance of U.N. Security Council sanctions that tightly cap the country’s imports of oil and petroleum products.
While fuel shortages have likely forced North Korea to scale back its winter training activities for its soldiers in recent years, the South Korean military believes the North has expanded such exercises in January and February, Shin said .