Russia told the UN Security Council on Wednesday that it opposed new sanctions against North Korea and that a military option was "inadmissible."

"All must acknowledge that sanctions will not resolve the issue," Russian Deputy Ambassador Vladimir Safronkov told an emergency council session, adding: "We simply rush towards a stalemate."

"Any attempts to justify a military solution are inadmissible," he told the session convened in response to North Korea's test of an intercontinental ballistic missile.