The media rushed into a frenzy this week reporting that “Russia has nuclearized the Baltics” after Moscow deployed the Iskander nuclear-capable ballistic missile system to Kalinigrad near the Baltics leading to protests from Estonia, Poland and Lithuania who warned the posturing by Russia could exacerbate growing regional tensions.
The Russian defense ministry issued a statement saying that the deployment was done in plain sight and was far from a secret while military officials went on to explain that the placement of the mobile missile system is part of a routine drill and that it should not be read into too deeply.
"First of all, the authors behind the fuss should know that the Iskander missile system is a mobile one," said a ministry spokesman, General Igor Konashenkov. "As part of the combat training plan, units of the missile forces throught the year improve their marching capabilities by covering great distances across the territory of the Russian Federation in various ways: by air, sea and on their own."
The spokesman explained that the movement in Kalinigrad "is no exemption here" and that the system would be relocated in the future "as part of the military training of the Russian armed forces."
Despite the explanation for the positioning of the advanced nuclear-capable system, some neighbors and regional states voiced opposition to the movement citing it as another example of “Russian aggression.”
"Recent activity by the Russian Federation raises concerns," Poland’s Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz said on Saturday saying that the country’s military was in "permanent readiness" mode to ward off any potential security threat posed by Russia to Poland and its allies.
"The deployment not only increases tensions in the region, but also possibly violates international treaties," claimed Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius in a statement to Reuters promising to raise the matter during the next meeting between Russia and NATO officials.
The deputy head of the defense committee in the Russian Federation Council Frants Klintsevich suggested that neighboring states “should not fear” the move because it is “part of a drill” to ensure preparedness of the country’s military forces which are “not at war” with anyone.
Nonetheless, the incident does not occur in a vacuum as even though the Russian government assures that the exercise is routine, the West has grown increasingly hawkish towards Moscow starting with the "Summer of Provocation" by NATO placing an unprecedented number of troops along Russia’s border during massive military drills and more recently with the United States lobbing unfounded accusations at Moscow of allegedly intervening in the American election.
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| 1 | Edit | Delete It's no harm at all to put the wind up the stuffy Baltic countries. It's ok for them to rattle their sabers at Russia, but when Russia responds in kind, they start urinating themselves, because they can't take it. They're just a bunch of wimps. They should kick NATO out, and be more friendly towards their Russian neighbour who wasn't threatening them in the first place. Reply 
| 0 | Edit | Delete when trust is gone, place for misinterpretation. It was a good time when Russia and Nato where together. Peace of all Reply 
| 1 | Edit | Delete NATO and its allies discredit themselves when they whine all the time. It just becomes noise. Their arguments would mean something if they didn't complain constantly about everything. Reply 
| 0 | Edit | Delete Russia have drill on its own territory, but US and NATO have every month military drill around Russian western border and have many nuclear bombs in Germany....Which one is fare!? Reply 
| 1 | Edit | Delete jas, Even without the whining their arguments is just lies and evil agenda. Reply 
| -1 | Edit | Delete The Devil sure Hate's Righteousness. God Bless Russia! Reply 
| 1 | Edit | Delete To this layman, as long as Russia placing them Russia soils should be ok. Those nuke capable may be the right thing to put warhawk headdown and generate peace and stability as results. If it is this layman, those peace keepers may even station just a few meters from the borders Reply 
| 2 | Edit | Delete The Usa and Uk press like to make the people afraid no daub !!! Kaliningrad is Russia's home land !!! Reply 
| 0 | Edit | Delete Russia should not downplay their installation of missiles in their own country. These missiles are there as response to NATO provocations and is anyone is worried about getting nuclear mushrooms growing in their country they should start to think about Newton's law that every action causes equal reaction. If these stupid politicians and people who follow them as stupid sheep and trust their words as religious zealots trust to their priests lies than that is their problem. Russia simply has to respond to every action NATO is undertaking. No one of our leaders does not acknowledges that we are under the American occupation because how to explain that our governments have no sovereignty as every decision they make must fall within shadow USA create.
Show new comments (0)jerrys57
l.
jas
Jupiter
NATOisEVILin reply tojas(Show commentHide comment)
Mystic-One
peaceactivist2
tobi.gelando
But when the terror state Usa sent there cow boys like a wild herd from the Baltic's to Ukraine in tanks along the Russian border 7.000 Km from home that is normal ????
Sick people sick World
slimyfox
Now USA invented new reason to keep and increase anti Russian sanctions and our idiotic Chancellor Merkel blindly as stupid and brainless chicken follows just because Obama told her to do so. Hope Russia will slam new really hard anti sanction lasting exactly same number of days as western sanctions will last from their very first day of introduction.
Russia should ban imports and sale of automotive industry products from spare parts and personal motor vehicles of all types and purpose. That would surely break camels (Merkel's) back. German economy is not able to absorb such direct financial shock and CSU would rebel and demand Merkel's resignation and it would throw state in absolute chaos.
Russia or shall we say Putin needs to stop with this permanent excuses to west just because he has permanent wet dreams of being accepted and respected by western leaders. How stupid someone could be not to realise that West hates him and Russia with all sincerity just because they are even more scared of USA. Sometimes is quite difficult to listen Putin sleazy relations towards west. Putin is made of same fabric as oligarchs and he does not care about Russian nation but about his personal megalomaniac interests. He needs to be replaced asap with real Russian patriot who loves Russia more than anything and hate with same passion West and Russian oligarchs and liberals who would sell Russia to the west in one instant.
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