Russia calls South Korea not to hold planned artillery firing

Russia on Friday urged South Korea not to go ahead with plans for a live-fire drill, warning the action risks escalating tensions with North Korea, the foreign ministry said.

"Russia strongly calls on South Korea to refrain from holding the planned artillery firing in order to prevent a further escalation of tensions on the Korean peninsula," the foreign ministry said in a statement, Sunday Times informs.

The Foreign Ministry called on Pyongyang and Seoul to resume dialogue and to resolve all problems between the two states through political and diplomatic means.

South Korea plans a live fire artillery drill from Dec 18 to Dec 21 near the island of Yeonpyeong in the Yellow Sea. The firing range practice in the same area in November led to the exchange of artillery fire between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and South Korea, killing two marines and two civilians, Xinhua says.