Russia dubs N. Korea's new missile test a 'provocative step'

Lambasting North Korea's latest missile test, Russia has dubbed it as a Pyongyang's 'provocative step' and appealed 'for calm to prevent the worst-case scenario on the Korean Peninsula.'

"No doubt, another missile launch is a provocative step, which sparks a further rise in tensions, and which moves us away from beginning to settle the crisis," Russian news agency TASS cited Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying.

"We condemn this launch and hope that all the respective sides will manage to keep calm, which is very necessary to prevent the worst-case scenario on the Korean Peninsula," Peskov added.

North Korea said it successfully tested a powerful new ICBM on Wednesday that put the entire U.S. mainland within range of its nuclear weapons.

 

Russia and China have proposed a roadmap for defusing the crisis in the region.

On being quizzed about if the proposed roadmap was being considered by the North Korean leadership, Peskov said, "Let's put it this way: there are no grounds for substantial optimism."

North Korea carried out its new missile test early on Wednesday after a 75-day pause.

The missile "flew eastward from the vicinity of Pyongyang" toward the Sea of Japan, South Korean military officials said.

This is North Korea's first missile attack since September 15 when it fired an intermediate-range missile, which flew over Hokkaido Island in Japan before and into the Pacific Ocean.

Japan's Prime Minister's Office said, "North Korea launched a missile that has the possibility of arriving in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of our country."

As per the Pentagon, the ICBM travelled about 1,000 km before splashing into the Sea of Japan. The United States' Defence Department also stated that the missile did not pose a threat to the country, its territories or allies.

The missile firing comes a week after United States President Donald Trump said that North Korea fell under the list of countries that backs terrorism.

Responding to the missile test, US President Donald Trump said the country would "take care of it," while Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe termed it to be ''absolutely intolerable.