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A VHF radio message from the Katalexa was received from the vessel in the Sea of Japan. It reported that the yacht "was hijacked, or arrested, by a North Korean ship", said Russian maritime expert Mikhail Voytenko . Since the Wednesday message, no further communication has been heard from the vessel.

SERBIAN TIMES•GETTY A VHF radio message from the Katalexia was received

The incident comes amid high tension on on the Korean peninsula over missile tests Kim Jong Un's repressive regime which US defence secretary Jim Mattis this week branded the world's "most urgent and dangerous threat to peace and security". Russia announced the deployment of the new-state-of-the-art Buk-M3 missile defence system in eastern Siberia in response to concerns over war breaking out in North Korea. Moscow has expressed "profound concern" over recent North Korean missile launches which "serve to heighten tensions", with US warships already on patrol in the region.

A Russian foreign ministry official Vladimir Konovalov said of the yacht incident: "We can't yet confirm or refute this information." Urgent representations have been made via Russian diplomatic channels to the North Korean authorities. The sea rescue and coordination centre of Primorsky region of Russia confirmed the fears the yacht has been seized for unknown reasons.

GETTY Jim Mattis branded the repressive regune as the world's "most urgent and dangerous threat to peace"