The Russian government is investigating whether a missile tested by North Korea on Wednesday ended up in its territorial waters in the Sea of Japan.
Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko said the country was checking the landing position of the missile, according to Russian news agency TASS.
“As far as I know, my colleagues continue to investigate this matter with the Ministry of Defense, but so far we have no clearly expressed information that the missile fell in the Russian economic zone,” he said. he declared.
North Korea launched the missile on Wednesday in its first intercontinental ballistic missile test in three months. The missile traveled more than 600 miles east, landing in the Sea of Japan, according to South Korean and Japanese assessments.
The launch was denounced by world leaders, including from South Korea, Japan, the United States and the G7.
“North Korea continues to expand its illegal nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities and intensify its destabilizing activities. These launches pose a serious threat to regional and international peace and stability and undermine the global non-proliferation regime” , says a statement from the G7.
“We call for a rapid, strong and unified response from the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). The frequency of North Korea’s repeated flagrant violations of the UNSC juxtaposed with the corresponding inaction by the UNSC due to obstruction by some members is a source of significant concern,” the group added.
The missile tested would be the Hwasong-18, the most powerful missile technology North Korea has developed. It flew for 74 minutes on Wednesday, according to Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, a record for a North Korean test.
The Hwasong-18 missiles were first tested during the country’s latest ICBM launch in April. The missiles use solid fuel propellants instead of liquid, which could make them easier to transport and more reliable.
The test came after North Korea alleged earlier in the week that a US spy plane had flown over its waters. The United States has denied these allegations.
“Under international law, recent statements (by North Korea) that US flights over its claimed exclusive economic zone are illegal are unfounded, as freedoms of navigation and overflight on the high seas apply. in these areas,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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