North Korea launches cruise missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads from its most advanced destroyer

The trial was chaired by Kim Jong-unthe supreme leader of the secretive Asian country, who was satisfied with the result, promising that North Korea will continue to develop a Navy with a “powerful offensive capacity”.

In Kim Jong-un’s opinion, the test was “an important central element in estimating the operational capabilities of the warship.” In some images distributed by KCNA, you can see at least four missiles fired from the destroyer Choe Hyonthe first of this advanced class and launched in April of last year.

The state agency described the missiles as “strategic,” suggesting they may be used to transport nuclear warheads. The photographs also capture a visit by the supreme leader to the deck of the destroyer, which also reviewed another warship under construction at the Nampo shipyard.

“Every year, during the new five-year plan period, we must build two surface warships of this class or a higher class,” Kim proclaimed during a statement.

During his visit to the destroyer, Kim assured that his plans for equip the Navy with nuclear warheads are “progressing satisfactorily.”

The test occurs shortly after the closing of the ninth Congress of the Workers’ Party, a key event in which the North Korean president stressed that his country will expand its nuclear forces and conditioned a possible improvement in bilateral relations with the United States on Washington abandoning its denuclearization demands on Pyongyang.

The second of the Choe Hyon-class destroyers suffered an incident during its initial launch in May 2025, sparking the wrath of the North Korean dictator and the arrest of the officers responsible. The ship was quickly repaired and commissioned two months later.