Kim Jong Un Ramps Up North Korea’s Air Drills, Slams U.S. Provocations

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un took to the skies, figuratively, to oversee air force drills aimed at bolstering the nation’s military might, state media reported. On Thursday, Kim inspected the 1st Air Division’s anti-aircraft and air strike exercises, urging a relentless push for war readiness. The Korean Central News Agency quoted him demanding a "breakthrough in war preparation" across all military units.

State TV broadcasted footage of a MiG-29 jet firing what analysts believe is a North Korean take on a Russian mid- to long-range air-to-air missile. This display follows Kim’s busy month, which included supervising missile tests, touring tank and munitions factories, and even a rare visit to the Russian embassy in Pyongyang to cement ties with Moscow. Tank drills and special operations training also got the Kim stamp of approval.

Meanwhile, North Korea fired back at the U.S. for listing it—yet again since 1997—as a non-cooperator in counterterrorism efforts. A Foreign Ministry spokesperson called the designation a provocation, warning that such moves only deepen the "irreconcilable hostility" between Pyongyang and Washington. The DPRK vowed to counter U.S. actions across all fronts, signaling no letup in its defiant stance.