"As for the fifth-generation Raptor fighter jets, their deployment will certainly be an additional impetus for Moscow to speed up the process of developing and putting on service the Russian response, the fifth-generation T-50 fighter. The Russian side may also retaliate against other similar actions by the Americans and their allies, Batyuk said.
He recalled that the Russian Defense Ministry did not rule out that Moscow may deploy additional Iskander mobile short-range ballistic missile systems in Kaliningrad, in response to the possible deployment of US heavy military hardware in Eastern Europe.
When asked whether the F-22 fighter poses a threat of a fundamentally different level to Russia, Batyuk said that it's too early to jump to conclusions.
"It is difficult to say to what extent these [F-22] planes are superior to those systems that are currently on service in Russia. In this respect, there are different points of view, but in any case, Moscow has the necessary means to neutralize this threat," Batyuk said.
On Monday, the Wall Street Journal quoted US Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James as saying that Washington is considering increasing the number of its forces in Europe as well as the deployment of F-22 fighter jets there in the face of strained relations with Russia.
