Kim Jong Un smiles as he tests a new rocket system amid fears he is preparing to supply Putin with more weapons for the Ukraine war.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un smiled as he oversaw testing of a new multiple launch rocket system, amid fears the country is preparing to arm Russia for its continuing war against Ukraine.

The new rocket-launching system is North Korea’s latest move to bolster its line of weapons targeting South Korean population centers and will be deployed to the country’s armed forces later this year, according to state media.

North Korea’s official Central News Agency said Friday’s test confirmed the “advantage and destructive power” of the 240-millimeter multiple rocket launcher and its guided projectiles.

The agency said the system, which North Korea has already tested twice this year, will be deployed to combat units between 2024 and 2026 to replace older weapons.

In recent months, North Korea has maintained an accelerated pace of weapons testing as it expands its military capabilities, while diplomacy with the United States and South Korea remains stalled.

Experts say this latest show of military force is part of a goal to eventually pressure the United States to accept North Korea as a nuclear power and negotiate economic and security concessions from a position of strength.

North Korea has focused on artillery systems in recent weeks.

Its test activities included salvo launches from multiple 600mm rocket launchers in April that state media described as a simulated nuclear counterattack against enemy targets.

Earlier this year, the country conducted several cruise missile tests and flight-tested what it described as a solid-fuel intermediate-range missile with hypersonic warhead capabilities.

Experts say it is designed to hit remote US targets in the Pacific, including the Guam military hub.

Following Friday’s test, Kim issued instructions to maximize production of multiple 240mm rocket launchers and their guided projectiles, which he said would bring a “significant change” to his forces’ combat capabilities, the agency said. North Korean news.

While North Korea’s artillery systems are designed to target South Korea’s capital area, which is home to half of that country’s 51 million people, South Korean military officials also suspect that The tests are aimed at examining weapons it plans to export to Russia.

U.S. and South Korean officials have accused North Korea of ​​providing artillery shells, missiles and other military equipment to Russia to help extend its fighting in Ukraine.

In recent months, Kim has sought to raise the visibility of his ties with Moscow and Beijing as he attempts to break diplomatic isolation and insert himself into a united front against Washington.