North Korea’s Kim oversees test of strategic cruise missiles and signals nuclear readiness in new escalation

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the test launch of strategic cruise missiles on Wednesday amid escalating tensions in the region.

The test was designed to warn "enemies, who are seriously violating the security environment of the (country) and fostering and escalating the confrontation environment" and to demonstrate "readiness of its various nuke operation means," the official Korean Central News Agency reported.

Mr Kim hailed the new strategic missiles for bolstering the country’s “nuclear shield” as a senior delegation met Russian president Vladimir Putin.

The missiles traveled 1,587km in an oval trajectory, taking between 7,961 and 7,973 seconds to reach their targets, it said, in what was the fourth missile launch event this year and the second of president Donald Trump's second term.

“It is the responsible mission and duty of the DPRK’s nuclear armed forces to permanently defend the national sovereignty and security with the reliable nuclear shield,” Mr Kim said, referring to the North’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

North Korea did not confirm how many missiles were tested but South Korea’s military said it tracked several cruise missiles after they were launched at around 8am (2300 GMT Tuesday) over the sea.

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On Thursday Mr Kim sent a delegation of top officials to Moscow to meet Mr Putin, reinforcing the deepening military and strategic alliance between North Korea and Russia. This relationship has already raised concerns, as reports suggest Pyongyang is supplying Russia with ammunition,

Mr Putin met and held talks with the delegation led by Ri Hi Yong, a secretary of the central committee of the North’s ruling Worker’s Party of Korea.

Photos showed top Russian officials, Mr Putin’s aid Yuri Ushakov, joining the talks at the round table discussion.

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On the same day, South Korea's spy agency said that North Korea sent additional troops to Russia, after its soldiers deployed on the Russian-Ukraine fronts suffered heavy casualties.

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) said in a brief statement it was trying to determine exactly how many more troops had been provided in the latest round of deployment.

The NIS also assessed that North Korean troops were redeployed at fronts in Russia's Kursk region in the first week of February, following a reported temporary withdrawal from the area.