North Korean spy satellite explodes at launch; it may have used a Russian engine

North Korea claimed to have used a new engine "powered by liquid oxygen and petroleum products" that exploded a few minutes after launch. However, Seoul's National Intelligence Service told South Korean lawmakers there is no indication that North Korea developed such an engine, suggesting it may have been supplied by Russia.

According to the agency, Russia helped North Korea successfully launch its first reconnaissance satellite in November 2023, two months after DPRK leader Kim Jong Un's trip to Russia. In June, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin traveled to Pyongyang, where the two regimes signed a "comprehensive strategic partnership" pact.

In late May, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported, citing a representative of the country's Defense Ministry, that Russia sent experts to the DPRK to help develop a reconnaissance satellite.