North Korean media reported that the regime tested this week, in the presence of leader Kim Jong-un, a new type of underwater drone capable of generating radioactive tsunamis, similar to the Russian system known as Poseidon.
The drone was deployed off North Korea's northeastern coast on Tuesday and "reached its destination point in the waters of Hongwon Bay, set up as a fake enemy port, with the warhead exploding underwater Thursday afternoon," KCNA news agency reported today.
The device, which exploded "after sailing 80-150 meters deep along an oval eight-way path in the East Sea (the name given to the Sea of Japan by the two Koreas) for 59 hours and 12 minutes," was tested to coincide with the great maneuvers conducted by Seoul and Washington in the south of the peninsula.
"The mission of this weapon is to stealthily penetrate operational waters and provoke a large-scale radioactive tsunami through an underwater detonation to destroy enemy naval strike groups and major operational ports," the KCNA text explains.
According to the agency, the weapon was first developed in 2012 and, after undergoing 50 tests of various types (29 of which saw the participation of Kim Jong-un), its operational deployment was decided during the last Plenum of the Workers' Party in December last year.
KCNA published today only four photos of the test of this underwater drone, showing an underwater silhouette and an explosion near the sea surface, and some experts have already been quick to doubt that Pyongyang can have such a weapon in operational conditions.
Russia claims to have had its Poseidon submarine nuclear drones deployed and operational for only a few months, although the enormous secrecy with which they have been developed over the years prevents further details about this type of weapon from being known.
The peninsula is experiencing a historic level of tension after a 2022 in which Pyongyang, which refused offers to return to dialogue, carried out a record number of weapons tests and in which allies again carried out large maneuvers and deployed nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and strategic bombers.