North Korea is accelerating the programme as tensions on the peninsula continue to spiral towards all-out war. 

38 North, a Washington-based North Korea watchdog, has analysed three photographs taken lat month of a key shipyard. 

They said the images appear to show the programme “advancing” at the Nampo Navy Shipyard located on the hermit state’s west coast. 

They said: “Commercial satellite imagery from November 11, 16 and 24 show that North Korea’s second submersible ballistic missile test stand barge is being prepared to enter service.”

This, they said, is “a strong indicator that Pyongyang is advancing its submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) program”.

Analysis of the images showed a barge was moved from one location to another where the final touches are given to hulls all-but ready for active use. 

They said: “Once in service, this barge will help facilitate a broader SLBM testing regime and potentially establish a SLBM capability within the West Sea Fleet.”

They said a huge floating dry dock measuring 126 metres in length had also been positioned at the site, indicating finalisation of the construction of the barge. 

It comes after Russia increased tensions in the region today by warning the USA to stop its “bloodthirsty tirade” against the rogue state. 

Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov strongly condemned comments made by US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, who warned North Korea's leadership it would be "utterly destroyed" if war were to break out.

He said: “If someone really wants to use force to, as the US representative to the United Nations put it, destroy North Korea then I think that is playing with fire and a big mistake.”

He called Haley's speech on North Korea, which she made at an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting, "a really bloodthirsty tirade".

Mr Lavrov concluded: “We will do everything to ensure that war doesn't happen so that the problem is decided only using peaceful and political-diplomatic means.”