Western diplomats accuse Russia of violating the Treaty on the elimination of intermediate and short range. This, in particular, stated in the third edition of the report “Post-Truth, Post-West, Post-Order?”, published on the eve of the 53rd Munich security conference.
“At that time, as Russia continues to oppose the deployment of NATO missile defense systems in Europe, some Western diplomats accuse Russia of violating the Treaty on the elimination of intermediate and short range, which ended the missile crisis in the late 1980s. At last year’s Munich conference, the Prime Minister has already announced a new period of “cold war”, — stated in the report of the Munich conference.
We are talking about possible deployment in Kaliningrad missiles prohibited by the Treaty on the elimination of intermediate and short range. The document was signed by Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan in 1987. United States and the Soviet Union (the successor of which is Russia) have pledged not to produce, not to test and not to deploy ballistic and cruise missiles, ground-based medium (from 1 thousand to 5 thousand 500 kilometers) and small (from 500 to 1 thousand kilometers) range.
According to the annual report “Post-Truth, Post-West, Post-Order?”, which refers to data from the International Institute for strategic studies (The International Institute for Strategic Studies), the arms in Kaliningrad, Russia already has anti-aircraft missiles s-400 (from several tens to several hundreds of kilometers distance).
At the end of last year, the Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on defense and security Viktor Ozerov announced the Kremlin’s plans to deploy in the Kaliningrad region rocket complexes “Iskander” (up to 500 km) and the anti-aircraft missile system large and medium radius of action.
“We have to tighten the system of aerospace defense in this area, to attract additional forces and means to solve the problems of cover of the relevant objects and control points. This enhancement includes the placement of the s-400 (S-400 40N6 — Ed.) and complexes “Iskander” in Kaliningrad and the creation of new formations in the Western and southern military districts,” — said Viktor Ozerov.
In the US and the EU sharply criticized the Kremlin’s plans and urged Putin not to deploy the “Iskander”. Later, Reuters, citing sources in the U.S. intelligence said that last year Russia has sent to Kaliningrad with nuclear warheads missiles “Iskander-M”. The publication does not exclude that such a transfer could occur in the framework of the exercise, as in 2014. But later press Secretary Dmitry Peskov has indirectly confirmed the presence of missiles in Kaliningrad (no mention of nukes), responding to a question about deployment of Iskander: “it is Impossible just to remove the missiles from Kaliningrad, not knowing whether they will be abolished plans to create anti-missile complex on the European continent”.
Also last year in Kaliningrad Russia has deployed coastal missile system “Bastion”, in which NATO said that in this way Moscow is demonstrating its aggressive military posture.
Types of missile complexes of the Russian Federation, placed or planned to be deployed in Kaliningrad:
“Iskander-M” (SS-26 Stone) 9M723 (ballistic missiles, small range) and 9М728 (cruise missiles, range 500 km+): operational-tactical missile systems designed to destroy air and missile defense systems, as well as objects, to cover them.
System S-400 40N6: anti-aircraft long-range missile, designed to destroy AWACS and drones, a radius of 400 km, has not yet been used in Kaliningrad.
3К55 “Bastion” (SSC-5 Stooge): coastal missile system designed to destroy ships of different classes and types of convoys and carrier battle groups, a radius of 300 km.
System S-400 48N6D: anti-aircraft long-range missile, designed to destroy missile and aircraft, the radius of 200 km, deployed in Kaliningrad.
System S-400 9M96-2: anti-aircraft guided missile, designed to destroy all missile and aircraft at medium ranges, a radius of 100 km, deployed in Kaliningrad.
System S-400 9M96: anti-aircraft guided missile designed to destroy missile and aviation assets at short distances, deployed in Kaliningrad.
But, as stated in the report “Post-Truth, Post-West, Post-Order?”, worried that Russian plans to strengthen missile capability in Kaliningrad. “At the moment, several types of missiles “ground-air”, deployed in Kaliningrad, covers the range, at least up to 200 km. a Few additional defensive and offensive missile systems can be deployed. Last year Russia said that the exercises can place the rocket “Iskander”. Russia also allegedly tested, and can put to the ground based cruise missile, which Washington regards as exceeding the lower limit medium-range missiles under the Treaty (between Russia and the United States from 1987 — Ed.) on the elimination of intermediate-range and thus in violation of the Treaty. Their potential range is 1,500 km”, — stated in the explanatory note to the infographic.
Probably talking about cruise missiles “Caliber” (with a range of up to 1,500 km), which Russia plans to deploy in Western and southern military districts, as mentioned by Viktor Ozerov. According to Russian media, the Kremlin is their “tested” in Syria at the end of 2015, firing from ships in the Caspian sea. However at the same time, CNN reported that not all missiles hit the target. At least four of them flew to Syria and fell on Iran. And in the United States has repeatedly questioned the range of the missiles “Caliber”. Still, the Kremlin’s plans to place in Kaliningrad, the Western and southern military districts such missiles (they can carry nukes), a cause for concern. After all, only posted the “Iskander” in the Kaliningrad region with a radius up to 500 km “fetch” to Copenhagen, Stockholm and Berlin. And missiles “Caliber” “capture” almost all of Europe.
Also yesterday, the New York Times in his article wrote that Russia has secretly deployed a new cruise missile, the SSC-X-8 (according to the Russian media, probably we are talking about the ground version of the strategic cruise missile Kh-101 with a range of up to 5 thousand 500 km — approx. ed.). According to the New York Times, one of those missiles is still at the Kapustin Yar in the Astrakhan region, the other in December of 2016 transferred to another military base. What exactly — not specified.
In the United States has reacted to an article the New York Times. “Vladimir Putin continues to test a new Administration (USA — approx. ed.) meanwhile, the deployment of Russia cruise land-based missiles with a nuclear warhead, in violation of the Treaty on the elimination of intermediate and short range was a significant military threat to U.S. forces in Europe and our NATO allies. In light of recent events it is time for the new Administration to take immediate action to strengthen our deterrent position in Europe and to defend our allies,” said us Senator John McCain urged the United States to modernize its nuclear forces to be ready to resist Russian nuclear doctrine.
Later today data on the violation by Russia of the Treaty on the elimination of intermediate-range commented on in the state Department. “Our Administration conducts a thorough analysis of continuing violations of the Agreement to assess the potential consequences of U.S. security and its allies and partners. We very clearly given to understand our concerns violations by Russia, the risk they pose to the security of Europe and Asia, as well as our great concern that Russia has returned to the performance of the Contract”, — said the acting permanent representative of the state Department mark Toner.
According to him, as described in the last report on the implementation of the Agreement in 2016, the Russian Federation continues to violate its obligations under the Treaty, which prohibits the possession, production or flight testing of cruise land-based missiles with ranges between 500 and 5 500 km, or possession or production of launchers for such missiles.
In Russia yet did not respond to the publication of the New York Times, McCain’s statement and the White house. Earlier Vladimir Putin repeatedly declared about a possible unilateral withdrawal of the Kremlin concluded with US the contract. Threats from the Russian Federation and expansion of missile capabilities, according to European and American officials, came in response to the expansion of NATO’s presence in Europe and expand missile defense systems there. At last year’s summit in Warsaw the members of the Alliance decided to deploy 4 battalions with a total number of 3 thousand 945 people in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.
