NEW YORK, September 18. /TASS/. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s words that a military option on North Korea remains on the table are regrettable, Russian Senator Konstantin Kosachev said on Monday.

Earlier, the top US diplomat gave an interview to the program Face the Nation on CBS saying that "if our diplomatic efforts (on North Korea) fail though, our military option will be the only one left."

"As long as the US and other Western countries, their allies and neighbors of North Korea - South Korea, Japan and other regional countries - leave open the possibility of external interference and toppling the current regime there, unfortunately North Korea and its authorities will continue implementing its nuclear program," said Kosachev, who chairs Russia’s Federation Council (upper house of parliament) International Affairs Committee.

"Definitely, there is no military solution there, no doubt that if any military operation is carried out, unfortunately, North Korea’s authorities will fulfill those possibilities that they have," Kosachev stressed. "All this will end sadly not only for the region but for the whole world, including the US."

"That’s why I sincerely regret Tillerson’s statement as this is definitely not a solution to the North Korean problem, recognizing that this is a problem, it is evident that it exists and demands immediate solution," the senator said.

On September 15, North Korea fired another ballistic missile that flew over northern Japan’s Hokkaido Island towards the Pacific Ocean and fell some 2,200 km to the east of Cape Erimo. This is the sixth time since 1998 when a North Korean missile or its fragments fly over Japan’s territory. According to South Korea’s military, the launch was carried out from Pyongyang’s area. The missile flew 3,700 km and reached the altitude of 770 km.

This missile was fired just four days after the United Nations Security Council had passed a resolution toughening sanctions against North Korea.