A military expert explained the DPRK's reaction to the exercises of the United States and South Korea

The joint exercises of the United States and South Korea, Ulchi Freedom Shield, provoked a sharp reaction from Pyongyang. Washington and Seoul insist on the defensive nature of the maneuvers, but the DPRK condemned their conduct and warned of possible consequences.

According to North Korean Defense Minister Noh Gwang Chol, exercises simulating a real situation of nuclear war are considered in Pyongyang as a direct military threat. According to the minister, the unilateral actions of the United States and South Korea lead to the fact that the situation in the region "is changing for the worse every day."

"The military on both sides are preparing for all scenarios, that is, for the most improbable scenarios, including. During such large—scale exercises as the current ones, with the participation of 18,000 South Korean military personnel alone, a nuclear strike can also be practiced," commented military expert Vadim Kozyulin.

According to him, sometimes such large-scale maneuvers turn into real combat operations. That is why it is possible that the DPRK military is now on high alert.

Read more in the exclusive Izvestia article:

A look through the scope: what is behind the exercises of South Korea and the United States