Moscow, June 19 Russia will shoot down the North Korean missile if it strays towards its air space, a top military official today said, even as the country&aposs military is monitoring in"real time"the preparations of its renegade neighbour.

"If the North Korean missile would veer towards us, we will shoot it down. All our air and missile defence means are ready for this," Deputy Chief of General Staff Lt-Gen Aleksandr Burutin was quoted as saying by&apos Vesti FM&aposradio.

"Our means of control are constantly in standby mode and we will establish the launch within seconds," Burutin added.

Although Russia has no exact information about the date and time of the N Korean ballistic missile launch, it is monitoring the situation in"real time", the official said.

"It is yet early to say about the timing of the N Korean launch, they are in the permanent readiness for the launch,"Gen Burutin said.