Is North Korea’s latest missile test a distraction from troops supply to Russia?

North Korea is showcasing its deepening “nuclear alliance” with Russia and demonstrating military strength by testing what observers suspect is a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) ahead of next week’s US presidential election and to also distract from its deployment of troops to the Ukraine war.

In an unusually prompt response, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said hours after the launch on Thursday that it was intended to demonstrate the nation’s “counteraction will” against rivals, whom he accused of escalating tensions in the region.

Kim reaffirmed that Pyongyang’s commitment to bolstering its nuclear capabilities remained unshaken.

The launch followed closely on the heels of Russia’s extensive nuclear forces exercise simulating retaliatory strikes, adding further tension against the backdrop of the Ukraine war, where North Korea has reportedly dispatched about 10,000 troops to back Moscow.

The missile test also came a day after South Korean and American defence chiefs agreed to include “realistic” scenarios – such as a North Korean nuclear attack – in their future joint military exercises, condemning Pyongyang’s reported deployment of troops to Russia.

“North Korea wants to emphasise that its growing alliance with Russia is supported by nuclear weapons,” Hong Min, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification, told This Week in Asia.