Sat Apr 05 06:07:32 UTC 2025: ## Kim Jong Un Inspects Elite North Korean Special Forces
**Pyongyang, April 5, 2025** – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw a training exercise of the Korean People’s Army’s special operations forces on April 4th, according to state media reports. The visit, to an undisclosed location, included observation of tactical training and a small-arms shooting contest.
Kim emphasized the crucial role of strengthening special operations forces in the country’s current military strategy, outlining unspecified key tasks to enhance their capabilities. He also personally test-fired a newly developed North Korean sniper rifle, expressing satisfaction with its performance.
This comes amidst reports from South Korea that North Korean special operations units are deployed to fight in the Ukraine war alongside Russian forces. While Moscow and Pyongyang initially denied these reports, Russian President Vladimir Putin stopped short of a denial in October 2024, and a North Korean official has claimed such deployment would be legal. Analysts suggest North Korea may be gaining valuable battlefield experience through this deployment, despite reported heavy losses suffered by its troops in Ukraine.
First Piper 