Military drills held by the United States and South Korea seem to have been aimed at provoking North Korea to hold more missile tests, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday.

Key points: Russia's Foreign Minister raises concerns about US military drills

Russia's Foreign Minister raises concerns about US military drills Sergei Lavrov claims it could make it more difficult to renew a dialogue with North Korea

Sergei Lavrov claims it could make it more difficult to renew a dialogue with North Korea The US joined forced with South Korea to start military drills in September

Mr Lavrov, speaking in Vienna at the OSCE (Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe) summit, said it would now be more difficult to launch dialogue with the North following the drills. He also said Moscow condemned North Korea's tests.

Tensions continue to mount in the region after Pyongyang test-fired a new type of intercontinental ballistic missile it said was capable of striking anywhere in the United States.

"I am not trying to excuse this [North Korean] launch," Mr Lavrov said.

"We condemned it and demanded that North Korea fully complied with the resolution of the UN Security Council.

"But the United States acted as if they wanted to provoke them for a new risky venture. And so they did.

"Of course now it will get more difficult to create conditions for renewing the dialogue.

"But we are certain — the North Koreans told us that repeatedly — that they need security guarantees."

Fighter jets dropped bombs over the peninsula during joint drills. ( Facebook: US Pacific Command )

Mr Lavrov said he asked US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to explain the logic behind the actions of the US.

"Because even within the line which prevailed in the [American presidential] administration policy until recent times, this announcement does not fit in the reasonable frames.

"But today the UN Security Council has a meeting on the subject. We hope that there the American colleagues will clarify how they see further development and in which direction."

In September, the United States military staged bombing drills along with South Korea over the Korean peninsula.

The flurry of drills came after Pyongyang fired a mid-range ballistic missile over Japan and conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test on September 3 in defiance of United Nations sanctions and other international pressure.

During the drills, a pair of US B-1B bombers and four F-35 jets flew from Guam and Japan and joined four South Korean F-15K fighters.

South Korean Defence Minister Song Young-moo said the joint drills would be conducted "two to three times a month" given the rising tensions.

Sorry, this video has expired North Korea has launched a series of missiles in recent months

AP/Reuters