Russian Official on North Korean Visit: 'Their Mood Is Rather Belligerent'

He claims North Korea is preparing to test missile that can reach US
By Michael Harthorne,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 6, 2017 6:38 PM CDT
North Korea to Test Missile That Can Hit US: Russian Official
This undated file photo distributed by the North Korean government shows what was said to be the test launch of an intermediate range Hwasong-12 in North Korea.   (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File)

A Russian lawmaker has returned from a trip to Pyongyang with some alarming news, Reuters reports. Anton Morozov says North Korea is preparing to test a missile it believes can reach the west coast of the US. Morozov says "they even gave us mathematical calculations" to prove it, though the Independent notes the Russian lawmaker didn't claim to have checked North Korea's math. According to Bloomberg, Morozov says North Korean officials told him the missile could have a range of up to 7,500 miles. They also allegedly claimed to have perfected the technology for their missiles to withstand the heat of atmospheric reentry. “They’re not preparing for nuclear war,” says Alexei Didenko, another Russian lawmaker on the North Korea trip. “They’ve been ready for it for a long time.”

Morozov didn't say who specifically gave him the information on the upcoming missile test, and Reuters was unable to verify it. But US officials have said there are some indications North Korea is preparing for a missile test on Oct. 10. The country has conducted at least 14 missile tests already this year. "In general, their mood is rather belligerent," Reuters quotes Morozov as saying. "They did everything to show they’re seriously ready for confrontation,” he tells Bloomberg. Morozov says the situation "demands the swiftest intervention of all interested states ... to prevent wide-scale military action." (More North Korea stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X