Russia Pledges Retaliation To US and UK Plans For Rocket Deployment

Moscow pledges retaliation to US & UK plans for rocket deployment in range of Russia’s borders, sparking new missile crisis fears

RT

Russia would be forced to defend itself if Western nations go through with plans to station short- and long-range missiles in Europe, a Moscow diplomat has warned, insisting they could be used to target the country’s air defenses.

In a statement released on Monday, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Washington was increasingly discussing proposals to deploy rocket launchers to the continent. Previously banned by the INF Treaty, research and development has reportedly resumed since the pact was torn up in 2019 by then-US President Donald Trump.

The spokeswoman argued that “the British military has now joined in with the openly hostile and destabilizing rhetoric,” citing intentions to upgrade its missile launch complexes to “make it possible to deliver deep missile strikes, in order to neutralize enemy air defense systems.”

“We cannot help but notice the obsession of these Anglo-Saxon commanders on the task of defeating purely defensive units designed to ensure the security of the Russian Federation in the event of a military attack,” Zakharova added. She also said Russia disputes the officially declared ranges of the launchers, claiming that Britain was being “clearly and deliberately misleading” about its ability to strike targets at distance.

“We aren’t closing the door to dialogue,” the Foreign Ministry official added, “but we can’t rule out that Russia will be forced to shift its efforts towards military measures in response to emerging missile threats.”