Russia searches for crashed North Korean nuke in its waters: officials

Officials said that Russia is investigating whether a North Korean missile fell in Russian waters during Wednesday’s test launch.

The Russian deputy foreign minister Andrei Rudenko stated that the defense ministry is investigating the launch but “so far, we have no clear indication that the missile fell within Russia’s economic zones.”

Russian state media reported that the test-fire by the Hwasong-18, the core missile of North Korea’s nuclear arsenal, was an “effective” warning for the enemies of the hermit kingdom, including the United States.

Japan, South Korea and the US all condemned the test launch. Rudenko, however, said that the firing was in response to the US and their allies who, he claimed, “actually prod North Korea into building up its defense capability.”

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North Korea is under sanctions for its nuclear program since 2006. The UN Security Council condemned North Korea’s first nuclear test in 2006 and imposed sanctions on heavy weapons, missile technology, components, and luxury goods.

The UN Security Council is divided on the issue of North Korea’s nuclear capability. Both Russia and China claim that more sanctions would only worsen the situation.

Khaled Khiari, UN Assistant Secretary General Khaled Khiari on Thursday said that the missile had traveled 625 miles within 74 minutes. It crashed into the waters of the Russian economic zone, near Japanese territory.