SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea tested a ballistic missile toward the North’s eastern waters Thursday, the South Korean military said.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a brief statement that the firing took place Thursday morning, but gave no further details, including how far the weapon traveled.

The reported launch came a day after South Korea’s military intelligence agency told lawmakers that North Korea had likely completed preparations for its seventh nuclear test and was close to testing a long-range missile able to reach the United States.

Since 2022, North Korea has sharply accelerated the pace of its weapons tests to expand its arsenal of nuclear-capable missiles aimed at South Korea and the United States.

The launch also comes amid concerns over North Korea sending troops to Russia to support its war against Ukraine.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday that North Korean troops wearing Russian uniforms and carrying Russian equipment were heading toward Ukraine, in what he called a dangerous and destabilizing development. Austin spoke at a news conference in Washington with South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun.

South Korea said on Wednesday that North Korea had sent more than 11,000 troops to Russia and that more than 3,000 of them had been moved near battlefields in western Russia.