Russia says it will destroy North Korean missile if it identifies a threat

“We are sure the rocket will not go in our direction,” deputy head of the General Staff, Alexander Burutin, was quoted by news agencies as telling reporters on Friday.

But if it does, he added, Russian radars are capable of registering North Korea's rocket in the very first seconds of its launch, and its missile defense systems would immediately destroy the missile.

Russia is constantly keeping an eye on its neighbor, Burutin said, using the national missile tests control system to monitor North Korean missile activity. He said there was no information regarding the date of the launch, but added that North Korea was “permanently ready” for it.

Japan' Chief Cabinet Secretary, Takeo Kawamura, said Thursday that North Korea may be planning to launch another missile, a day after US President Barack Obama called the communist country’s recent actions a “grave threat” to international security.

Kawamura’s comments follow news reports that North Korea moved a ballistic missile to one of its launching sites.

North Korea has launched several missiles and conducted a nuclear weapon test over the past two months, resulting in international condemnation and tighter sanctions from the United Nations Security Council.