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Report: North Korea has 1,000 ballistic missiles capable of reaching Japan

The current force is more than able to accommodate any future growth in the North’s nuclear weapons arsenal, including a worst-case projection of 100 nuclear weapons by 2020, a report says

© ITAR-TASS/Yury Smityuk

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Moscow says US missile defense to impair solution of nuclear problem on Korean peninsula

TOKYO, April 8. /TASS/. Pyongyang has about 1,000 ballistic missiles and a small number of light bombers capable of reaching most targets in South Korea and Japan, a report published by the US-Korea Institute at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies on Tuesday said.

They include Nodong medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBM) with a range of 1,200-1,500 km and Scud ballistic missiles that could carry a nuclear payload 300-600 km.

"As a result, the current force is more than able to accommodate any future growth in the North’s nuclear weapons arsenal, including a worst-case projection of 100 nuclear weapons by 2020," according to the report.

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Pyongyang may also be able to field a limited number of long-range Taepodong missiles that are able to reach targets in the United States.

Meanwhile, US experts say "such a weapon would represent more of a political statement than an operational capability since it would suffer from significant problems including vulnerability to attack because of likely basing on an above-ground launch pad."

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Military operation in Ukraine

Final statement by G7 top diplomats to call for supplying more air defenses to Kiev

Earlier, Ukrainian Foreign Minister said Kiev required US-made Patriot systems and Italian-French Samp-T theatre antimissile systems

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German Foreign Ministry confirms summoning of Russian ambassador

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UK imposes sanctions against leading Iranian military figures — Foreign Office

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The Russian president pointed out that Moscow’s "program of assistance to the African countries in sanitary and epidemiological well-being provides for the delivery of ten mobile high-containment biological laboratories"

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German prosecutors confirm they have two suspected Russian agents in custody

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Sergey Ryabkov said that "very soon, Russia and Iran will have new additional opportunities to discuss the situation in the Middle East in general, as well as details of what is going on there at this point"

Lavrov states West’s growing concern about BRICS plans to develop own financial tools

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Russia expects Armenia to clarify 'military, political accords' with US, EU — diplomat

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Ukrainian trace obvious in Crocus City Hall attack — Russian Prosecutor General

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Russian artillery thwarts Ukrainian army’s rotation near Kupyansk — underground resistance

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Colombian president displays interest in country’s entry into BRICS

Brazilian leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva welcomed Gustavo Petro’s initiative, "being committed to promotion of Colombia’s candidacy"

Georgian protests against foreign agent bill reek of US influence — Medvedev

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Argentina applies for status of NATO’s global partner

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Press review: Ukraine, Israel vie for EU’s attention and Georgia passes controversial bill

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Germany fails to present evidence in case of espionage suspects — Russian embassy

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New US bill calls for $26 bln in assistance to Israel

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Ukrainian military under constant gunfire by Russian troops near Urozhainoye, says POW

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Humanitarian efforts in Gaza doomed without durable ceasefire — Russia’s UN envoy

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Agents in Ukrainian, Poland foil attempt to kill Zelensky, security officials in Kiev say

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Shoigu visits presentation of over 30 promising weapons, including robotic vehicles

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Ukrainian president signs law tightening mobilization rules

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CIA chief says Ukraine could lose by end of this year — Politico

William Burns said "there is a very real risk that the Ukrainians could at least put Putin in a position where he could essentially dictate the terms of a political settlement"