The IAEA has identified a new uranium enrichment facility in North Korea
North Korea has constructed a new uranium enrichment facility at the Yongbyon nuclear complex. According to preliminary data, the building can accommodate up to 28 centrifuge cascades, the IAEA reported.
The IAEA stated that it relied on satellite imagery and open-source materials, including photos published by North Korean state media. It is thanks to this data that the agency monitors Pyongyang’s nuclear activities.
It is important to note that the agency’s inspectors have not been operating in North Korea since 2009.
Available data indicates that North Korea’s nuclear infrastructure continues to expand steadily at several locations simultaneously.
IAEA experts have identified a new two-story building in Yongbyon as a second uranium enrichment facility. To reach this conclusion, they compared satellite images taken during construction with photographs from North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un’s visit in June.
Footage released during the visit shows that gas centrifuge cascades are installed on both floors of the main building. According to the IAEA’s assessment, the facility can accommodate up to 28 such cascades.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi issued an official statement on the matter.
“The ongoing operation of enrichment facilities in Kangson and Yongbyon, as well as reports of the DPRK’s continued expansion of its production of weapons-grade nuclear material, are a cause for serious concern,” he emphasized.
It is also important to note that the development of North Korea’s nuclear program violates UN Security Council resolutions.
Source: IAEA
We should add that Russia is requesting new, even more powerful KN-30 ballistic missiles from North Korea.
As a reminder, Russia will mobilize another 600,000 people in 2026–2027.
There will be no quick end to the war in Ukraine, as Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has no intention of ending it.
On August 25, the Vatican’s top diplomat, Paul Richard Gallagher, met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow. The two sides discussed the war against Ukraine and agreed to maintain contact. The Vatican emphasized that it supports a cessation of hostilities and the start of genuine negotiations.
