Overview

• Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Russia’s Dmitri Medvedev attended the Pyongyang event, underscoring North Korea’s closer ties with Beijing and Moscow.
• State media labeled the Hwasong-20 the country’s most powerful strategic nuclear system and said a flight test is planned in the coming weeks.
• Analysts and multiple outlets report the missile may reach the U.S. mainland, though that claim remains unverified.
• The parade also featured hypersonic and other missile systems, and Kim Jong-un urged the military to become an “unbeatable” force in his anniversary remarks.
• Western and Ukrainian reporting says North Korea has supplied Russia with arms and personnel for the war in Ukraine, with estimates around 14,000 fighters and media speculation of additional deployments up to 30,000.