The communist nation launched the missiles, including a long-range Taepodong-2, late Tuesday despite a moratorium on missile tests. According to the Japanese military, all the missiles fell into the northwest of the Sea of Japan closer to Russia than to Japan.
"We need [to start] a dialogue with North Korea, which should involve Russia and China as proactive players," said Mikhail Margelov, the chairman of the Federation Council's international affairs committee.
The U.S. and North Korea's four direct neighbors, including Russia, have been trying to convince North Korea to give up its nuclear program since 2002, but long-running talks over the secretive communist regime's nuclear capabilities have stalled, with six-party negotiations on the issue being repeatedly postponed as neither Washington nor Pyongyang has showed willingness to reach a compromise.
"With this missile test, North Korea apparently wants to gain more space for maneuver in the talks with the 'six' and attempts to demonstrate once again its independence militarily and politically," Margelov said.
He added that Korea's test-firing of medium and long-range ballistic missiles along with its nuclear program increase tension on Russia's borders in the Far East.
A U.S. state department official called the test-launches a "provocative act," while Japan and South Korea have put their military on high alert in the wake of the tests.
The UN Security Council said it would hold an emergency meeting later on Wednesday to discuss the developments.
"I hope that the reaction of the global community will be appropriate and will not lead to senseless sanctions or other 'punishments'," Margelov said.
The U.S. and South Korea confirmed Wednesday that five of the North Korean missiles were medium-range versions of the old Soviet-made Scud missile. The sixth was the long-range Taepodong-2, which has an estimated range of 6,000 kilometers (3,750 miles) and is believed to be capable of hitting Alaska.
