MOSCOW. Sept 18 (Interfax) - The incident in the Sea of Japan will not seriously affect the relations between Russia and North Korea, but Pyongyang should clarify the situation, Federation Council Defense and Security Committee member Franz Klintsevich said.
"I don't think this incident will have a serious impact on the Russia-North Korea relations, but we must get all these questions answered," Klintsevich's press service quoted him as saying.
North Korean fishermen have been poaching for years, struggling to earn enough for themselves and their families, he said.
"The fact that Pyongyang at least closes its eyes on such actions is no secret either. But what happened in the Sea of Japan this time is too much," he said.
In this regard, Moscow has many questions for Pyongyang answer. "Firstly, where did the poachers get firearms, when the central authorities control such things 'from A to Z'? And what kind of measures will be taken to prevent such incidents from happening?" he said.
Russia's FSB said on Tuesday that Russian border guards patrolling the sea found two North Korean schooners and 11 motor boats poaching.
"The crew of a North Korean schooner, over 45 people, launched an armed attack on the members of the inspection team from the border guard ship. Three service members suffered injuries of varying degrees," the FSB told Interfax.
"The illegal activities of the North Korean poachers detected in the area of the Kita-Yamato Bank [Russia's exclusive economic zone in the Sea of Japan] were suppressed by the measures taken. Two fishing schooners and over 80 North Korean citizens were detained," the FSB public relations center said later.