U.S. intelligence authorities assessed that North Korea stands in its "strongest strategic position" in decades amid its push to advance nuclear weapons and close military cooperation with Russia.

In a report submitted to the House Armed Services Committee, the Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency(DIA) shared such assessment, citing the North's military means to hold at risk U.S. forces and allies in Northeast Asia, while continuing to improve its capability to threaten the U.S. homeland.

The report said Pyongyang has the capability to seriously damage enemies and defend its territory in the long term with conventional, biological, chemical and nuclear weapons, adding that regime leader Kim Jong-un is increasingly confident in his international political legitimacy and regime security.

The DIA said the North's Special Operations Force that was deployed to Russia in support of the latter’s military offensive in Ukraine was "highly trained," "well equipped," capable of infiltrating South Korea, and lessons from the deployment are set to be reflected in its combat training.

The report said while Pyongyang continues its nuclear weapons program and increases its stockpile by producing plutonium and highly enriched uranium, the regime has restored its nuclear test site and is ready for a seventh nuclear test "at a time of its choosing."