Russia warns US against 'unilateral action' on North Korea

Russia has warned the United States against any "unilateral action" against North Korea, saying any response to Pyongyang's nuclear activities should not violate "international law," amid reports of potential military confrontation between North Korea and the US.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made the remarks at a news conference in Moscow on Monday, a few hours after US Vice President Mike Pence said the era of "strategic patience" with the North was over, warning Pyongyang not to test US President Donald Trump’s resolve over North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

“This is a very risky path. We do not accept the reckless nuclear missile actions of Pyongyang that breach UN resolutions, but that does not mean that you can break international law,” Lavrov said, adding that he hoped there would not be any "unilateral actions like the one we saw recently in Syria.”

The top Russian diplomat was referring to the recent US attack on Shayrat Airfield in Syria's Homs Province with a barrage of 59 Tomahawk missiles, fired from two warships in the Mediterranean Sea, which caused some 15 fatalities, including civilians.

Pentagon's unprecedented offensive on the Syrian soil was conducted without any international authorization.

On Sunday, US and South Korean military officials reported that Pyongyang's latest missile test had failed earlier in the day, with the projectile exploding almost immediately after the launch.

The failed test occurred just a few hours before Pence's scheduled visit to South Korea's capital, Seoul, and just one day after Pyongyang showcased its submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) for the first time during a massive military parade.