Russia summoned the US and South Korean ambassadors Friday to express "deep concern" about a live-fire drill planned by Seoul amid mounting tensions with North Korea, the foreign ministry said.
Russia noted that a similar exercise overseen by a senior US commander provoked North Korea to retaliate by shelling Yeonpyeong island last month.
"We strongly call 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 statement said in a statement.
North Korea's military threatened Friday to strike back if South Korea goes ahead with drill.
A member of the six-party negotiations on the Korean peninsula crisis, Russia hosted the foreign minister of North Korea last week in a bid to help the two sides negotiate their way out of the escalating dispute.
Those talks ended with Russia expressing "deep concern" over reports that Pyongyang was developing industrial uranium enrichment capabilities.
It also called on both sides to show restraint after last month's shelling of the island.
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