September 13, 2021

North Korea carried out successful tests of a new long-range cruise missile over the weekend, its state media outlet KCNA said, amid a protracted standoff with the United States over denuclearisation.

The missiles are “a strategic weapon of great significance” and flew 1,500 km (930 miles) before hitting their targets and falling into the country’s territorial waters during the tests held on Saturday and Sunday, KCNA said.The missiles travelled for 7,580 seconds along “oval and pattern-8 flight orbits”, it reported.

The latest test highlighted steady progress in Pyongyang’s weapons programme amid a gridlock over talks aimed at dismantling the North’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes in return for US sanctions relief. The talks have stalled since 2019.

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