North Korea missile ‘no danger’ to Russia: Defence ministry

Moscow: The ballistic missile fired by North Korea on Sunday did not pose a threat to Russia, landing about 500 kilometres from its border, the Russian defence ministry said after Washington suggested that Moscow would be angry.

“This missile launch represented no danger for the Russian Federation,” according to a defence ministry statement carried by Russian state news agencies.

“The Russian missile attack warning systems followed the ballistic target during its 23-minute flight until its landing in the central part of the Sea of Japan (about 500 kilometres from Russian territory),” it said.

North Korea test-fired the ballistic missile at around 5:30 am (2030 GMT Saturday) and it flew about 700 km (435 miles), according to South Korean officials.

The White House said that President Donald Trump has called for tougher sanctions and suggested that it impacted “so close to Russian soil... the president cannot imagine that Russia is pleased.”

China and Japan also condemned the missile test as a violation of UN Security Council resolutions.

The launch took place while Beijing is hosting an international “Silk Road” summit with global leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin. A North Korean delegation also attended.