The US Navy aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson is on its way back to waters near the Korean Peninsula for a new set of military exercises. The vessel had been stationed in the region last month during joint military drills between the US and South Korea. It is expected to enter waters to the east of the Korean Peninsula next week. 

Two other aircraft carriers, the Ronald Reagan and the Nimitz, are also expected to arrive in the region next week. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the drills have no specific target, while South Korean analysts say the US will not recklessly trigger a military attack on the DPRK.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that Moscow cannot accept the DPRK's "reckless nuclear actions". Lavrov added that he hopes the United States will not take any unilateral action against Pyongyang, and said that Russia was ready to restore relations with Washington, and would judge US President Donald Trump's readiness to do the same by his statements.