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Russia to deploy missiles to counter US threat

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-11-05 22:06

MOSCOW  -- Russia will deploy a short-range missile system in its Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad bordering Poland and Lithuania, in response to US plans to set up a missile shield in the area, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Wednesday.

"The Iskander missile system will be deployed in the Kaliningrad region to neutralize, when necessary, the (US) missile shield," Medvedev said in his first State-of-the-Nation address to the Federal Assembly.

Russia will also deploy equipment in the western region to electronically jam the US missile defense system, said Medvedev, adding that resources of the Russian Navy will naturally be used to counter the missile shield.

The president said Russia had cancelled its previous plans to take three missile regiments out of service in the central part of the country.

"We earlier planned to remove three missile regiments within the missile division stationed in Kozelsk from combat duty and discontinue the division itself by 2010. I have decided to cancel these plans," Medvedev said.

Last year, Washington proposed to establish an anti-ballistic missile shield in Central Europe, consisting of interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar station in the Czech Republic.

Moscow has consistently expressed its opposition to the US missile shield in Europe, saying it threatens its national security. However, the United States insists the shield is designed to thwart missile attacks by what it calls "rogue states."

The United States signed a bilateral treaty with the Czech Republic in July, allowing a US radar base on Czech soil.

In August, it reached another agreement with Poland on deploying parts of its global missile shield in that country.