The Russian military is closely following the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s plan to soon launch a satellite, a senior official with the Russian General Staff said Friday.

Given the possibility that the trajectory of the rocket's flight could pass near or over Russian territory, missile early-warning and space monitoring systems will be deployed, the official was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying.

"We cannot rule out the likelihood that in the event of a crash, the rocket debris would fall on Russian islands," the anonymous official said.

The DPRK declared on Feb. 24 that it will launch a communications satellite, which raised concerns among neighbors and the United States.

According to reports by the DPRK's official KCNA news agency, the country has notified international agencies of its planned satellite launch.

The Russian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday voiced concern over the escalation of tensions on the Korean Peninsula and urged all the relevant parties to exercise restraint.

(Xinhua News Agency March 13, 2009)