A high Russian official declared late last week that the threat posed by North Korea’s Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM) is being exaggerated.

According to news agency RIA Novosti, Russian military intelligence (GRU) head Igor Siergun downplayed North Korea’s ICBMs at a Russian Ministry of Defense conference on missile defense in Moscow, pointing out, “The technology to produce ballistic missiles capable of a range of 5,500 km has only been accomplished by the official nuclear powers. Israel, India, Pakistan, Iran and North Korea are currently only capable of producing mid-range missile systems.”

However, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Global Strategic Affairs Madelyn Creedon maintained U.S. concerns about North Korea’s long-range missiles, saying, “North Korea and Iran continue to directly or indirectly develop ICBMs." As such, she went on, “The threat of such weapons continues to increase. North Korea has not stopped developing missiles despite the failure of the rocket launch.”