Russia dramatically relocated 1,500 people from its border with North Korea after Kim Jong-un's latest missile launch, it was reported today.

The surprise move instructed civil defence officials to shift residents to 'safe areas' in the country's far east, according to pro-Kremlin media outlets.

'A verbal order was given to relocate 1,500 people to safe areas,' reported Mash, a social media outlet linked to major news service Life.ru which has close links to the Russian security services.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russian citizens to leave the country's 24-mile international frontier with North Korea because of increasing tensions in the region

Russian citizens have been ordered to leave a 24-mile stretch of the frontier with North Korea

North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un fired a missile over Japanese territory on Monday night

Japan's Air Self Defence Forces have been holding drills using Patriot Missiles in response to North Korea's provocative actions on Monday night

'The order came from the regional department of the Russian Ministry of Emergencies.'

Russia shares a 24 mile land border with reclusive North Korea.

It was unclear where the 1,500 were moved.

The civil protection department in Vladivostok was instructed to relocate residents living in the border area with North Korea.

The relocation was later described as a 'training exercise', according to FedPress.ru.

But it appears to have been triggered by the launch of a missile over Japan in the tinderbox region which has led to soaring tension in Asia.

'A relocation scheme is being exercised as part of the training,' said a source.

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has warned that the North Korean crisis could morph into an armed confrontation and 'lead the world to the brink of a catastrophe'.

South Korea launched a pair of F-15 fighter jets on a live-fire training mission in Gangwod-do at the Taebaek Pilsung Firing Range as a show of force for the North Koreans

South Korea's defence ministry released footage of the high-octane bombing mission

North Korea fired a missile over Japan's northern island in a provocative gesture on Monday

Yet Russia also maintains political and business ties to Pyongyang.

Officials in Vladivostok also announced that radiation in the border region had not charged following the North Korean launch.

In another unexpected development, Russia's largest island - Sakhalin - disappeared from the country's online maps of major IT company Yandex after the latest launch.

The Pacific island lies north of Japan.

Yandex claimed it suffered a 'technical' problem.

The island could be vulnerable to a stray launch by trigger-happy North Korea.