North Korea launched a ballistic missile toward the Sea of Japan
On the morning of August 12, North Korea launched a ballistic missile from the country’s east coast toward the Sea of Japan.
According to preliminary estimates by Japanese authorities, the launch took place at approximately 5:59 a.m. local time, heading east.
The missile traveled approximately 690 km, reaching a maximum altitude of about 90 km.
The missile fell into the Sea of Japan outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
The Japanese government promptly relayed information about the launch to aircraft and ships in the vicinity of the flight path. There are currently no reports of destruction, damage, or casualties.
This marks North Korea’s ninth ballistic missile launch since the beginning of 2026.
Pyongyang’s previous launch took place on June 25. On that occasion, Kim Jong-un was shown new missile systems. During the demonstration firings, in addition to artillery and multiple-launch rocket systems, a ballistic missile was launched from a self-propelled launcher.
This system is positioned as a modular platform developed based on the concept of the American HIMARS.
Against the backdrop of deepening military cooperation with Russia, North Korea continues to improve its missile arsenal and increase production.
In early June 2026, during a visit to an industrial facility of the Missile Administration, Kim Jong-un ordered a 2.5-fold increase in the production of ballistic and cruise missiles.
At the same time, Pyongyang is developing new missile models for various launch platforms.
In particular, this includes the Hwasal-2 cruise missiles, which are considered one of the key elements of North Korea’s missile arsenal.
The DPRK is also developing naval versions of missiles, including the Pulhwasal-3-31, designed for launch from surface ships and submarines. These were developed based on the Hwasal-2.
The latest launch demonstrates that Pyongyang continues to actively test missile technologies and maintain a rapid pace of development in its missile capabilities.
This was reported by the Japanese Ministry of Defense.
Prior to this, North Korea criticized Japan’s new defense policy and accused Tokyo of seeking to legitimize the buildup of its military strength. This was reported by the DPRK’s state news agency, KCNA.
As a reminder, South Korea provided Ukraine with a new $100 million aid package.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukrainian intelligence has detected the Kremlin’s preparations for a new wave of mobilization measures this fall. According to him, Russia may also be planning to recruit approximately 30,000 more troops from North Korea for the war against Ukraine.
Russian Presidential Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov refused to confirm or deny reports that Russia may be bringing in another 30,000 troops from North Korea to fight in the war against Ukraine.
