Kim’s latest missile test hits 60 miles from Russia

NORTH Korea provoked international fury with its latest ballistic missile test, which flew close to Russia yesterday.

The United States, Russia, South Korea and Japan condemned the test.

The missile flew 430 miles from the city of Kusong and reached an altitude of 1,245 miles, according to US officials.

It then crashed into the Sea of Japan, about 60 miles from Vladivostok in eastern Russia. North Korea has consistently test-fired missiles in that direction.

Russia responded by putting its air defences on high alert. A Kremlin spokesman said President Vladimir Putin, who is in Beijing for a trade summit, was “concerned” by the test.

Provocation

US President Donald Trump called for “stronger sanctions” from all nations against North Korea, while White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Mr Trump “cannot imagine Russia is pleased” the missile landed so close to its territory.

Japan’s prime minister Shinzo Abe called the test “a serious threat” and “totally unacceptable”, while South Korea’s new president Moon Jae-in said it was a “provocation”.

China, North Korea’s only major ally, called for restraint by “all relevant parties”. It is thought North Korea has attempted nine missile launches since January.

David Wright at the Union of Concerned Scientists said if yesterday’s missile flew at the altitude stated, it could reach the US Andersen Air Force Base in Guam in the Pacific.

But Carl Schuster, ex-director of operations at US Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center, North Korean missile test launch said the missile’s direction was likely to be an attempt by North Korea’s Kim Jong-un to send a message to Moscow and Beijing.

“It tells Russia, ‘I can touch you, too’ and it tells China, ‘I don’t care what you think, I’m independent,’” he said.

Yesterday’s summit of world leaders in Beijing included Mr Putin and a North Korean delegation. “The timing is not coincidental,” said Mr Schuster.

“It’s his [Kim’s] way of telling the Russians, ‘You need to speak up and stop US-supported sanctions on North Korea’.”