LOC16:47
13:47 GMT
MOSOW, July 4 (KUNA) -- Russia on Tuesday said that North Korea's launch of a ballistic missile constitutes a breach of the UNSC resolution.
"We are alarmed, worried and are following what is happening with a great sense of apprehension for the situation in Northeast Asia," Ryabkov said, according to the Tass news agency.
It also cited Ryabkov as saying that tensions with Pyongyang risked leading to catastrophic developments and that the missile launch showed that the only way forward was to organize multilateral talks with North Korea.
The Russian official noted that his country had voted for all the UNSC resolutions that aimed to handle the matter with North Korea, calling for more efforts to lessen tension.
Earlier today, North Korea claimed its first "successful" launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), suggesting it is improving missile capability.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un observed the launch of the Hwasong-14 missile, which reached an altitude of 2,802 km and flew 787 km, according to the country's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. (end)
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