North Korea fired a suspected ballistic missile toward waters off its east coast, hours after the outspoken sister of leader Kim Jong Un blasted as “fiction” accusations that her nation was exporting weapons to Russia. 

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed the launch on Friday (May 17). Further details were not immediately available. 

“The hostile forces are misleading the public opinion with a false rumour that the weapon systems produced by the DPRK are ‘for export to Russia,’” state media cited Kim Yo Jong as saying. She was referring to North Korea by its formal name.

“We have no intention to export our military technical capabilities to any country or open them to the public,” she said. Kim Yo Jong has been a prominent figure in North Korea for leading pressure campaigns against the US and South Korea.

This is the fifth test of ballistic missiles from Kim Jong Un’s regime this year. On April 22, the North Korean leader oversaw a simultaneous launch of four short-range ballistic missiles.

The US, South Korea and others have accused North Korea of sending to Russia massive amounts of artillery shells along with its newest family of short-range nuclear-capable ballistic missiles that are easy to hide and quick to deploy. Pyongyang and Moscow have denied the charges. 

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Russia is providing North Korea with food, raw materials and parts used in weapons manufacturing, South Korean Defence Minister Shin Wonsik has said. The food aid has helped Kim’s regime stabilise prices for necessities. If the arms transfer grows, Russia will likely send more military technology to Kim, increasing Pyongyang’s threat to the region, Shin added. BLOOMBERG