Thousands of North Korean soldiers marched in large block formations on Friday in preparation for an upcoming military parade, new high-resolution satellite imagery shows.

NK Pro reported earlier this week on the arrival of troop-carrying trucks at the Mirim military parade training base in southeast Pyongyang, signaling that the planned parade is likely to occur within the next eight weeks based on past training schedules.

North Korea may use the parade to show off long-range missiles or other newly developed weapons as leader Kim Jong Un has promised to prioritize modernization of the country’s armed forces.

The new high-resolution image taken by Planet Labs shows at least 32 large block formations of troops marching in a replica of Kim Il Sung Square located at the Mirim base. These formations typically contain 288 soldiers during parades, suggesting at least 9,200 soldiers were carrying out marching practice on Friday.

The number of soldiers taking part in military parades has varied slightly over the years, but as many as 15,000 soldiers have been observed training at once at the base ahead of parades in the past, usually reaching such high numbers from one to two weeks before the actual parade date.

The relatively low number of just over 150 troop-carrying trucks parked in empty grass lots at the Mirim base indicates the upcoming parade is not imminent, as over 650 trucks have been gathered there just prior to parades in the past.

A likely date for the parade is April 15, the 110th birthday of founding leader Kim Il Sung. State media has said there will be “grand” celebrations for the holiday, which the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) considers the most important on the calendar.

Meanwhile, the April 25 Hotel that is attached to the Mirim base appeared busy with dozens of buses filling its parking lot on Thursday, though this is likely related to an ongoing political event in Pyongyang this weekend.

The event appears to be taking place at the April 25 House of Culture across town, but state media did not report on it Saturday. It may be a mid-level party secretary meeting scheduled for “late Feburary,” or another event.

Edited by Bryan Betts