Overview

• State media identified the showcased intercontinental missile as Hwasong-21 and called it the country’s most powerful strategic nuclear weapon.
• Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Russian Security Council vice chair Dmitri Medvedev and Vietnamese party chief To Lam attended the event in Kim Il Sung Square.
• KCNA released images of long-range missiles, vehicle-mounted drone launchers and new Cheonma-20 tanks alongside massed troops and fireworks.
• Coverage notes inconsistent labeling and limited testing, with some reports using Hwasong-20, KCNA citing a ninth engine test in September, and no flight test independently verified.
• South Korea reports North Korean troops fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine and alleges arms shipments to Russia, with significant North Korean casualties.