North Korea’s Kim Jong Un views Russian nuclear-capable bombers, hypersonic missiles
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A Russian MiG-31 fighter jet equipped with a Kinzhal hypersonic missile flying over Red Square in central Moscow in May 2022. .
PHOTO: REUTERS
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VLADIVOSTOK, Russia – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected Russian nuclear-capable strategic bombers, hypersonic missiles and warships on Saturday, accompanied by President Vladimir Putin’s defence minister.
A smiling Mr Kim was greeted in Russia’s Knevichi, about 50km from the Pacific city of Vladivostok, by Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, who saluted Mr Kim. The North Korean leader then inspected a guard of honour.
The United States and South Korea fear that the revival of Moscow’s friendship with Pyongyang could give Mr Kim access to some of Russia’s sensitive missile and other technology, while also helping arm Russia in its war in Ukraine.
Mr Shoigu showed Mr Kim Russia’s strategic bombers – the Tu-160, Tu-95 and Tu-22M3 – which are capable of carrying nuclear weapons and form the backbone of Russia’s nuclear air attack force, said Russia’s Defence Ministry.
“It can fly from Moscow to Japan and then back again,” Mr Shoigu told Mr Kim of one of the aircraft.
Mr Kim was shown asking about how the missiles were fired from the aircraft, at times nodding and smiling.
Mr Shoigu showed him the MiG-31I supersonic interceptor aircraft equipped with Kinzhal hypersonic missiles.
The Kinzhal, or dagger, is an air-launched ballistic missile capable of carrying nuclear or conventional warheads.
It has a reported range of 1,500km to 2,000km while carrying a payload of 480kg. It may travel at up to 10 times the speed of sound (12,000kmh).
After the aircraft and missiles, Mr Kim inspected the warships of Russia’s Pacific fleet in Vladivostok.
South Korea and the US said on Friday that military cooperation between North Korea and Russia violated United Nations sanctions against Pyongyang, and the allies would ensure there was a price to pay.
Russia has gone out of its way to publicise Mr Kim’s visit and drop repeated hints about the prospect of military cooperation with North Korea – which was formed in 1948 with the backing of the Soviet Union.
For Mr Putin, who says Moscow is locked in an existential battle with the West over Ukraine, courting Mr Kim allows him to needle Washington and its Asian allies while potentially securing a deep supply of artillery for the Ukraine war.
Washington has accused North Korea of providing arms to Russia, which has the world’s biggest store of nuclear warheads, but it is unclear whether any deliveries have been made.
Mr Kim on Friday inspected a Russian fighter jet factory that is under Western sanctions.
He and Mr Putin discussed military matters, the war in Ukraine and deepening cooperation when they met on Wednesday
Mr Putin told reporters that Russia was “not going to violate anything”, but would keep developing relations with North Korea.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters there had not been a plan to sign any formal agreements during the visit.
While meeting Mr Kim, Mr Putin accepted an invitation to visit North Korea, according to the Kremlin, and offered to send a North Korean to space, which would be a first.
Moscow also mentioned the possibility of helping Pyongyang manufacture satellites, a prospect that has alarmed Washington.
Russian diplomats said Washington had no right to lecture Moscow after the US had bolstered its allies across the world, including with a visit of a US nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine to South Korea in July. REUTERS, AFP
