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Russian Jets Violated NATO Airspace Today: 'Unprecedented, Brazen'

Russian military jets breached Estonian airspace Friday, officials said, marking a fresh provocation near the alliance's eastern flank.

Three Russian fighter jets entered Estonian airspace for several minutes earlier in the day, before leaving again, according to the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"Russia has already violated Estonia's airspace four times this year, which in itself is unacceptable. But today's incursion, involving three fighter aircraft entering our airspace, is unprecedentedly brazen," Foreign Minister Tsahkna said in a statement.

"Russia's increasingly extensive testing of boundaries and growing aggressiveness must be met with a swift increase in political and economic pressure."

Newsweek reached out to NATO and the Estonian Defense Forces for comment via email Friday morning Eastern time.

Why It Matters

Tensions have risen in the region in recent weeks, with Russia seen to be threatening neighbor Finland and being accused of sending drones into nearby Poland, all while the conflict with Ukraine still rages on.

Russian Fighter Jets Violate NATO Oil Platform 'Safety Zone'

Poland accused Russia on Friday of violating the "safety zone" of a Baltic Sea oil platform after two fighter jets flew low over the Petrobaltic installation.

The Polish Border Force said the military and other authorities were alerted following the incident, which it called a breach of security around the offshore site.

The breach came little more than a week after NATO aircraft shot down Russian drones over Poland, stoking fears the Ukraine war could spread beyond its borders.

The Baltic Sea incident came the same day Estonia summoned a Russian diplomat to protest what it called an "unprecedentedly brazen" airspace violation. The Foreign Ministry said three Russian fighter jets entered its airspace Friday without permission and remained for 12 minutes, the fourth such breach this year. Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said the government would begin consultations with NATO allies under Article 4 after what he described as yet another Russian incursion.

The Petrobaltic platform is an oil and gas installation operated by Orlen Petrobaltic, a subsidiary of Poland's state-owned energy giant Orlen. Located in the Polish exclusive economic zone of the Baltic Sea, it is the country's only offshore oil platform and a strategic energy asset, producing crude oil and natural gas since the late 1980s.

A safety zone is a protective buffer established around facilities or operations—such as oil platforms or military drills—meant to reduce risks but without the same legal weight as airspace, which is the sovereign territory above a nation's land and waters, where unauthorized entry is treated as a violation of national borders.

MORE ON UKRAINE WAR

Donald Trump Warns of 'Big Trouble' After Russia Enters NATO Airspace

resident Donald Trump warned of "big trouble" when asked Friday about the reports of Russian fighter jets entering Estonia's airspace.

The president responded, "Well, I'm gonna have to look at it. They'll be briefing me in a short while, so I'll let you know about it tonight or tomorrow.

He continued, "I don't love it. I don't like when that happens. This could be big trouble, but I'll let you know later they're going to brief me in about an hour."

The Estonia incident happened just over a week after NATO planes downed Russian drones over Poland and heightened fears that the war in Ukraine could spill over.

Did NATO Intercept Russian Jets?

Yes — in a recent incident, NATO scrambled Italian F-35 jets under its Baltic Air Policing Mission to intercept three Russian MiG-31 fighter aircraft that entered Estonia's airspace without permission. The jets reportedly flew without a flight plan, had their transponders turned off, and stayed inside Estonian airspace for about 12 minutes before being escorted out.

Later on Friday, Sweden's military posted photos of what it says were Russian fighter jets over the Baltic Sea.

The post said, "Following a violation of Estonian air space, Swedish JAS 39 fighters intercepted and monitored three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets over the Baltic Sea today. Sweden is always ready to ensure the safety, security and integrity of our airspace together with our allies."

Meanwhile, Poland accused Russia on Friday of violating the "safety zone" of a Baltic Sea oil platform after two fighter jets flew low over the Petrobaltic installation. The Polish Border Force said the military and other authorities were alerted following the incident, which it called a breach of security around the offshore site.

Russia Threatens NATO Neighbor With 'Ukraine Playbook'

Top Russian officials appear to be carrying out a Kremlin-coordinated campaign to threaten NATO ally Finland in the same way they did prior to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has warned.

The assessment speaks to broader Western concerns that Russia has ambitions beyond Ukraine and could one day try to seize territory from a NATO ally if it assesses that the alliance is not willing or able to uphold its Article 5 obligation to collective defense.

Russia denies that it has such territorial ambitions in the former Soviet sphere, or that it seeks a conflict with NATO. The Kremlin has, however, said that NATO is "at war" with Russia because of its heavy assistance to Ukraine, which is still fending off a Russian invasion.

"High-ranking Kremlin officials have increased threats against Finland in recent weeks, including by using language that mirrors the Kremlin's false justifications for its invasions of Ukraine," the Washington-based ISW think tank said in an analysis published Thursday, September 18.

"ISW continues to assess that the playbook Russia is currently using to threaten NATO mirrors the playbook Russia previously used to set informational conditions justifying its aggression against Ukraine."
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Finland in Russia's Sights

The ISW pointed to recent comments about Finland made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Special Envoy Sergei Ivanov, and State Duma International Affairs Committee First Deputy Head Alexei Chepa in particular.

Lavrov had said on September 18 that the Finnish government's "neutral veneer peeled off" and revanchism is "literally on the rise" in the country, which declared its independence from neighboring Russia in 1917.

Finland, which joined NATO in 2023 in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the heightened threat of Moscow's expansionism, had also fought off an invasion by the Soviet Union in 1939.

Dmitry Medvedev, who is also deputy to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the country's security council, recently accused Finland of preparing to attack Russia after joining NATO.

NATO, a U.S.-led alliance, binds allies under Article 5 of its treaty to collective defense if any of its members come under armed attack.

Russia Tries to Buy Back S-400 Air Defense Systems Amid Shortages: Report

Faced with military equipment shortages, Russia wants to buy back air defense systems it sold NATO member Turkey over half a decade ago, it has been reported.

Turkish media said that Moscow had approached Ankara with a proposal to buy back the S-400 systems delivered in 2019 in a deal that caused ructions in the NATO alliance and prompted the U.S. to expel Turkey from its F-35 fighter jet program.

Russia wants the systems back and Turkish officials are open to the idea, according to reports which have not been confirmed by Ankara or Moscow.

Yörük Işık, analyst with the Istanbul-based Bosphorus Observer told Newsweek Tuesday "they should have never been purchased."
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In 2017, Turkey signed a $2.5 billion deal with Russia for two S-400 Triumf systems, which were delivered two years later following Ankara's frustration with the U.S. and NATO over their refusal to sell it Patriot systems.

A Russian system in a NATO country dented U.S.-Turkey defense ties and Washington removed Ankara from its F-35 fighter jet program and imposed CAATSA (Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act) sanctions.

Moscow is seeking to replenish equipment lost in Ukraine and Ankara is developing its own indigenous air defense system, Steel Dome. The deal could potentially reset relations between Ankara and Washington as a result.

What To Know

Turkish media outlet Nefes reported Russia had approached Turkey with a proposal to repurchase the S-400 air defense systems it had sold to Ankara.

The S-400 Triumf is a missile launcher and multi-layered, mobile fortress designed for use against aircraft, drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles.

Having Moscow's flagship long-range air defense systems on NATO territory caused unease in the alliance amid fears they could compromise American F-35 fighter jets and so Washington responded with sanctions.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said the systems would be fully operational by 2020 but they are still not used and high maintenance costs have made them a burden for Ankara.

Işık told Newsweek that the systems were incompatible with Turkey's radar system and that their purchase was "an unfortunate decision."

Militarnyi, a Ukrainian military news website, reported that Turkish officials had expressed a "positive attitude" toward Moscow's proposal.

Ankara selling the systems back to Russia would ease its talks with Washington for F-16 jets and its attempts to be readmitted to the F-35 program.

Meanwhile Russia, which does not have S-400s in reserve, would benefit from boosting stocks lost in Ukraine. The deal would also help Russia's struggle to meet its commitments to other S-400 buyers, such as India, Türkiye Today reported.

The news comes as Turkey is developing its own Steel Dome system with Işık saying the Turkish government places great importance on developing technologies domestically.

Poland Deputy PM Seeks 'Toughest' Pressure on Russia After Drone Incursion

Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski has told Newsweek that his nation is working with allies to adopt stringent steps in response to alleged Russian drones crossing into Poland amid the war in Ukraine.

The comments came about a week after a swarm of drones entered Polish airspace from neighboring Belarus, a Russian ally, as well as from Ukraine. Warsaw determined the unmanned aerial vehicles to be of Russian origin, having coincided with a massive attack against various sites in western Ukraine, which also borders Poland.

While Russian officials have denied responsibility, Sikorski rejected these narratives, instead saying he sees the incursion as a deliberate effort by President Vladimir Putin to probe NATO's resolve.

"Such incidents happened before but this time our airspace was violated on purpose," Sikorski told Newsweek. "It was not a mistake. It was a 7-hours-long air operation. 21 drones. The Russian MOD says that this accident was a slip and the Russian Ambassador to the UN claims that it was technically impossible for those drones to fly more than 700 km."

"Both cannot be right," he added. "In fact, neither is."

Rather, Sikorski argued, the "Kremlin wanted to test the readiness of NATO Allies," to which "we reacted—Poland invoked consultations under Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty, and NATO launched operation Eastern Sentry."

"Two days after the incident, Poland called for an emergency session of the UN Security Council," Sikorski said. "Almost 50 countries—including the whole EU— issued a joint statement. And we will do more to ensure that our people are safe. It all shows once again that with an aggressor and a liar like Putin, only the toughest counter-pressures work."

Poland and the Eastern Front

The comments follow Sikorski's wide-ranging interview with Newsweek published September 7, just three days before the drone incident. Sikorski at the time called on allies to double down on pressure against Russia and assistance to Ukraine.

He also referenced both historical and contemporary events in discussing how the former Soviet satellite state that transitioned to democracy in 1989 has since embarked on a historic campaign of military investiture, spending more than any other NATO member state on defense as percentage of GDP while mounting the alliance's third-largest standing army, behind only the United States and Turkey.

Poland's position on NATO's eastern flank has garnered new significance since unrest first erupted in Ukraine following a 2014 popular uprising that installed a pro-West government, followed by Russia aiding separatist rebels in the east and seizing control of the Crimean Peninsula in the south.

Then, too, Warsaw invoked Article 4, which calls for emergency consultations among member states. NATO's response then culminated in the deployment of four multinational battle groups in the Baltics and in Poland, where the battalion is led by the U.S.

The developments at the time marked the largest military mobilizations since the Cold War, yet they were dwarfed by the large-scale invasion of Ukraine launched by Russia on February 24, 2022. That same day marked the second time Poland invoked Article 4, doing so alongside several other NATO states in Eastern Europe, resulting in ongoing efforts to aid Ukraine via economic and weapons shipments.

The war continues today with no apparent clear path to victory for either side. But after years of dueling offensives and a bloody stalemate, Russian troops are once again advancing, though gradually and at great cost, threatening to undermine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's hand at ongoing peace talks backed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Meanwhile, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has warned that the recent drone incident constituted "the closest we have been to open conflict since World War II."

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas also remarked on the unprecedented nature of the incursion, calling it "the most serious European airspace violation by Russia since the war began, and indications suggest it was intentional, not accidental."

UK Arrests Suspected Russian Spies During Trump Visit

British police have arrested three people on suspicion of assisting Russian intelligence services, highlighting the threat posed to NATO allies as they accuse Russia of pursuing hybrid warfare against Western powers.

Newsweek has contacted the Russian embassy in the U.K. for comment.

The arrests also coincide with U.S. President Donald Trump's state visit to the U.K., a NATO ally, during which the topic of ending Russia's war in Ukraine is expected to be one of the top agenda items in bilateral talks with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

NATO allies have sounded the alarm over a rising number of Russian intelligence plots to carry out acts of sabotage inside their countries—some of which have been successful—as Moscow and the West clash over the war in Ukraine.

Russia denies orchestrating such plots and, in turn, accuses Western allies of espionage and covert actions to undermine Moscow.

Essex Arrests

London's Metropolitan Police said two men and a woman were arrested at addresses in Essex, a county to the east of the capital. They were not named by police.

The three were detained on Wednesday, September 17, by counter-terrorism officers under an investigation into suspected breaches of national security laws by assisting the Russian intelligence services.

The men are aged 41 and 46, and the woman is 35 years old. All were released on conditional bail.

Warning on Intelligence 'Proxies'

Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met's Counter Terrorism Command, said in a statement that "through our recent national security casework, we're seeing an increasing number of who we would describe as 'proxies' being recruited by foreign intelligence services."

"Indeed, two young British men are awaiting sentencing after they were recruited by the Wagner Group—effectively the Russian state—to carry out an arson at a Ukrainian-linked warehouse," Murphy said.

"They are facing potentially lengthy custodial sentences, although, to be clear, today's arrests are in no way connected to that investigation.

"But anyone who might be contacted by and tempted into carrying out criminal activity on behalf of a foreign state here in the U.K. should think again.

"This kind of activity will be investigated and anyone found to be involved can expect to be prosecuted and there are potentially very serious consequences for those who are convicted."

Lithuania, Latvia Expose Suspected Russian Plots

On Wednesday, Lithuanian prosecutors said they uncovered and detained a Russia-linked network of suspects who are alleged to have planned and organized arson attacks in various European countries.

Lithuania's prosecutor general's office said suspects in a separate case are accused of sending packages containing homemade explosive devices to other European Union countries and Britain via courier services, on behalf of Russia's military intelligence services.

The highly flammable incendiary devices with timed detonators were hidden inside vibrating massage cushions and tubes of cosmetics.

Lithuanian authorities said a total of 15 people—citizens of Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Ukraine—are suspected of organizing and carrying out the alleged arson attacks.

Their statement said an international arrest warrant has been issued for three people, but did not make clear if and how many people had been arrested.

The investigation found that the packages contained thermite—a highly explosive substance used for industrial and military purposes.

Russian State TV Floats Theory Trump Planned Charlie Kirk's Killing

Guests and anchors on Russian state TV have discussed the political fallout of last week's killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah, with anchor even insinuating on air that President Donald Trump may have had something to do with the assassination.

A discussion on the political talk program Meeting Place centered on whether Trump was exploiting the killing "for his interests" amid strife in the U.S. following the shooting of Kirk at Utah Valley University.

A guest suggested that "maybe Trump did him in," with the anchor replying, "I will keep thinking it."

The idea was eventually dismissed by the guests in a discussion full of the conspiracy theories, speculation and provocative statements that Russian state TV regularly broadcasts.

Trump has condemned the "radical left" following Kirk's killing and the assassination has highlighted partisan divides nationwide. Tyler Robinson, 22, from Washington, Utah, has been charged with capital murder in Kirk's killing.
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Why It Matters

While Russian state TV is tightly controlled, its talk shows do not necessarily represent Kremlin opinion and only one of the guests on this edition of Meeting Place was a lawmaker.

However, the views expressed show that the division Kirk's assassination has caused in the U.S. is something that the talk show guests see as benefiting Russia.

What To Know

Russian state TV frequently makes provocative claims without providing evidence as it looks to push an anti-Western and increasingly, anti-Trump narrative.

These include on the same show in February 2024, anchor Andrey Norkin and his guests mocking Trump's supporters as "not very smart" "rednecks," and "primitive people."

In October 2024, Olga Skabeyeva, an anchor on the Russia 1 channel, questioned Trump's mental health saying he was "unfit because of his advanced age."

On the same program in February this year, Skabeyeva's co-host—and husband— Evgeny Popov said the Trump administration was doing Moscow's job—by undermining Western alliances and dividing Europe.

The segment of Meeting Place shown on the channel NTV was posted on X by Russia watcher and journalist Julia Davis.

In it, Alexey Naumov, from Russia's International Affairs Council, said that as the political fallout from Kirk's killing continues in the U.S., the left and the right will apply pressure and "the temperature in the pot will rise."

Co-anchor Ivan Trushkin compared the killing to the 1934 assassination of Sergei Kirov that preceded the purge of the political opponents of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. Trushkin said that Trump could leverage Kirk's assassination to repress political opponents.

Russia Responds to Charlie Kirk Accusations

Russia has dismissed claims that it had pushed conspiracy theories following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on September 10 at Utah Valley University.

A report by The Associated Press said that bots from Russia, as well as other rivals like China, and Iran, had spread disinformation about Kirk's killing on social networks.

But a spokesman for Russia's embassy in Washington, D.C. dismissed the reports as part of a "pretext to fuel anti-Russian hysteria."
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The Russian mission's comments follow accusations that Moscow sought to capitalize on Kirk's killing by amplifying online conspiracy theories such as that the U.S. was slipping into a civil war.

As debates about freedom of speech and partisan differences rage following the assassination, Russian state media appear to have relished the deepening of political divisions in the U.S. that have followed the killing.

What To Know
The AP said foreign disinformation makes up a tiny fraction of the debate about Kirk's killing, but has provided an opportunity for Russia—and other adversaries—to inflame political polarization as alleged pro-Kremlin bots blamed the Democrats and predicted more violence.

Joseph Bodnar, senior research manager at political advocacy organization the Institute for Strategic Dialogue told the AP that there were "multiple Russian campaigns attempting to exploit" Kirk's killing.

Among the theories about Russia being peddled were its alleged attempts to tie Kirk's death to U.S. support for Ukraine and a conspiracy theory that the Ukrainian government killed him because of his criticism of that aid.

Russian ultranationalist, Alexander Dugin, who is considered an ally of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, posted on X that the death of Kirk would precede a civil war and was proof of America's collapse.

Guests and anchors on Russian state TV channel NTV have even floated the idea of President Donald Trump being behind the killing, which while quickly dismissed, prompted a discussion about how it had led to a clampdown on left-wing groups.

But the Russian Embassy in the U.S. rejected accusations Moscow was spreading disinformation about the killing.

It said on Thursday that it did not interfere nor intend to interfere in the internal affairs of other states, including the United States.

Embassy spokesman Andrey Bondarev said in a statement it was "unacceptable" that the killing was being used "to fuel anti-Russian hysteria," state news agency Tass reported.

Putin Orders Succession Plan for Russia's Next Leadership

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the next generation of the country's political leadership must be veterans of the Ukraine war.

Putin made the comments during a meeting with different factions of the Russian State Duma and spoke of the participation of Ukraine war veterans in elections.

There is little room for significant dissent or political opposition in Putin's Russia, and the United Russia party to which he is closely aligned is in firm control.

His new demand signals a further entrenching of the hard-line Russian nationalism that dominates political power under Putin, and fuels Moscow's renewed Cold War with the West, a culture that will likely endure beyond his eventual departure.

"We must search for, find, and put forward people who are fearless in serving the Motherland and who have been willing to risk their health and even their lives," Putin said, originally in Russian, state news agency TASS reported.

"Such people should be promoted to leadership positions. They will be our successors. This is something we need to think about. And thank you for putting forward such people."

Russia Troop Losses in Ukraine

Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has drafted hundreds of thousands of people to fight, even releasing prisoners from their sentences early to serve on the grueling front lines.

It does not regularly publish figures on troop losses, but independent Russian media publication Mediazona and the BBC estimate it to be at least 130,150 so far, based on their research.

Those who survive sometimes return home deeply traumatized, creating a new wave of social problems for the Russian state to tackle, including violent crime, as it attempts to reintegrate veterans.

"All told, perhaps over 1.5 million Russian men and women had participated in the war as of the start of 2025," Mark Galeotti, a British expert on Russia who wrote a report on the issue for the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime, told Reuters.

"As more and more of them begin to be demobilized and return home, Russia will see an influx of veterans... bearing the psychological impacts of war."

European Union Says No Closer Ties With India Because of Russian Oil Purchases

India’s participation in military exercises with Moscow and its purchases of Russian oil “stand in the way of closer ties” with the EU, the bloc’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said on Wednesday.

“Ultimately, our partnership is not only about trade, but also about defending the rules-based international order,” Kallas said, as she announced the bloc’s strategy to strengthen EU-India ties.

Alongside other Moscow allies including Iran, India has taken part in Russia’s Zapad (West) joint drills with Belarus this month, part of which took place close to NATO borders.

"Participating in military exercises, purchases of oil — all these are obstacles to our cooperation when it comes to deepening the ties,” Kallas said.

Despite a lack of alignment over Russia, the European Union and India are working to conclude talks on a free trade agreement by the end of 2025, amid New Delhi’s own tensions with Washington.

US-India ties have been strained since President Donald Trump raised tariffs on most Indian exports to 50 percent last month in retaliation for New Delhi’s continued purchases of Russian oil.

The EU is India’s largest trading partner, with trade between the two economic giants up 90 percent over the past decade, EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic said alongside Kallas in Brussels.

Senior figures from India and the European Union hope to meet for a high-level summit early next year.

“Now is the time to double down on partnerships rooted in shared interests and guided by common values. With our new EU-India strategy, we are taking our relationship to the next level,” EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said on X.

The strategy also includes a bid to build stronger ties on defence and security as well as technology and climate issues.

ASIA

Japan Detects Russian and Chinese Ships Near Territory

Japan detected Russian and Chinese navies operating near its territory in recent days, as the country conducted a war game with the United States featuring anti-ship weapons.

Newsweek has e-mailed both the Russian and Chinese foreign ministries for comment.

Why It Matters

Japan is part of the First and Second Island Chains—two north-south defensive lines across the Western Pacific—under America's containment strategy, aimed at projecting military power to deter and defend against potential aggression by U.S. adversaries.

Russia and China have deepened military ties under the so-called "partnership without limitations" through joint naval exercises and patrols near Japan. Both countries' navies often use international straits off Japan's coastline for deployments to the wider Pacific.

What To Know

American and Japanese forces are currently conducting Exercise Resolute Dragon 25 across Japan, where they are demonstrating ship-sinking capabilities, including the U.S. Typhon missile system and the Japanese Type 12 surface-to-ship missile system.

The Joint Staff of Japan's Defense Ministry reported on Tuesday that a Russian naval intelligence collection ship, identified as the Kurily by its hull number, has been sailing along the east coast of Honshu—one of Japan's four main islands—since earlier this month.

The vessel reached the Pacific Ocean through the Tsugaru Strait north of Honshu after leaving Russia's Far East, according to a map provided by Japanese authorities. It continued southward and arrived near Japan's southwestern outlying islands last week.

Russia Gives North Korea Nuclear Submarine Technology: Report

Intelligence obtained by South Korea suggests that its neighbor, North Korea, has received a nuclear reactor from Russia for the development of its submarine fleet.

Newsweek has emailed the Russian defense and foreign ministries for comment. North Korea's embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Why It Matters

Russia and North Korea formed a strategic partnership last year, committing both sides to mutual military aid. Pyongyang has provided troops and munitions to support the Kremlin's war in Ukraine in exchange for Moscow's military equipment.

In addition to its nuclear and missile developments, North Korea has been bolstering its naval force by building a nuclear powered guided-missile submarine and two 5,000-ton destroyers to counter the U.S. and South Korea, which possess superior navies.

Unlike diesel-electric submarines, nuclear-powered submarines offer virtually unlimited endurance, speed, and range, with food supplies as their only operational limitation. The U.S. and Russia are among the few countries that operate this type of submarine.

What To Know
Citing multiple South Korean government officials, the Korea JoongAng Daily reported on Wednesday that Russia is believed to have supplied "two to three nuclear submarine modules" to North Korea in the first half of the year, including a reactor.

Other modules included a turbine and cooling system, which are also core components of a submarine's nuclear propulsion unit. These modules were not newly manufactured but taken from decommissioned Russian nuclear-powered submarines, the report noted.

One of the South Korean officials told the newspaper that Russia was initially reluctant to provide nuclear-powered submarine technology and advanced fighter jets to North Korea, which has been requesting them since last year, but eventually agreed to do so.

Seoul has shared the intelligence—which is undergoing verification of its credibility—with allies, including Washington, according to the report. In response, the South Korean Defense Intelligence Agency said it is closely monitoring related developments.

In March, North Korean state media revealed that a "nuclear-powered strategic guided missile submarine" is under construction and was toured by leader Kim Jong Un, who called the development of a nuclear-armed force an important part of national defense.