North Korea successfully conducted a significant test aimed at developing multiple-warhead missiles, according to Reuters.
The test was conducted on Wednesday, June 26, using the first-stage engine of a solid-fuel ballistic missile of medium and long range.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that the missile successfully separated warheads, which were accurately guided to three designated targets.
"The purpose was to secure the capability to destroy individual targets using multiple warheads," the statement said.
Threat of military assistance from Russia
These tests may be related to the recent visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Pyongyang. This move by North Korea demonstrates strength and potential readiness to supply weaponry to the Kremlin for a potential war against Ukraine.
This inference can be drawn from a statement by North Korean Defense Minister Kang Sun-nam, who described the debris fall of a Russian anti-ballistic missile on a beach in Sevastopol during the purported shooting down of American ATACMS missiles as a difficult and abhorrent act against humanity. At least four people were killed and 151 injured in the incident.
According to Kang, this attack underscores Washington's role as a first-rate state sponsor of terrorism, adding that any retaliation by Russia would be the most justified defense.
South Korean military reported North Korea's launch of a hypersonic missile near its eastern coast on June 26. According to their data, it exploded in the air.
South Korea, the US, and Japan have condemned this launch as a violation of UN Security Council resolutions and a serious threat. They also warned against further provocations following the summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin last week.
During Putin's first visit to North Korea in 24 years, the leaders of both countries signed a mutual defense pact, which Kim praised as an alliance, but South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol called it anachronistic.
The US, Japan, and South Korea strongly condemned the deepening military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, labeling it a serious concern and threat to stability.