North Korea announced the succesful test of a new weapon on Monday , Ednews reports referring to La Tribune.

The country's official press agency, KCNA, reported that Pyongyang's Academy of Defence Sciences had successfully carried out a "ballistic control test of 240mm calibre shells fired by a multiple rocket launcher" on Saturday. The stated aim was to develop "a control system" for this type of weapon. The new rocket launcher will be "re-evaluated" and its role on the battlefield should be increased, said KCNA.

This announcement comes as North Korea has stepped up its testing of military equipment in recent weeks, notably by launching a series of cruise missiles. The most recent launches were at the beginning of February, according to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff. And in January, Pyongyang had already announced that it had tested an "underwater nuclear weapons system" and a hypersonic solid-fuel ballistic missile.

Cruise missile tests, which fly in the atmosphere, are not covered by the sanctions imposed on North Korea by the UN. This is in contrast to ballistic missiles, whose trajectory is essentially in space. According to analysts, North Korea could be testing cruise missiles intended for export to Russia for use in the war against Ukraine.