‘US eyes encircling Russia with 400 anti-ballistic missiles’ – Russian deputy defense minister
RT.com
3 Mar, 2018
While the West blames Moscow for a new arms race, the US is creeping to Russia’s borders. A Russian defense official said some 400 anti-ballistic missiles will pop up on the country’s doorstep as part of the US military buildup.
“A large-scale effort is ongoing to encircle Russia with an anti-missile shield. Anti-missile defense sites have been already seat up on US soil in California and Alaska,” Alexander Fomin, Russia’s deputy defense minister, said on Friday in an interview with the Russia 24 TV channel. Washington has in fact long been expanding its anti-missile shield into Europe. In 2016, a $800 million ballistic defense site went into operation in Romania.
Last year, the US for the first time deployed the Patriot long-range anti-aircraft missiles to the Baltics to use them in large-scale NATO wargames in Lithuania.
In July, US Vice President Mike Pence indicated the US was considering deploying the Patriot systems to Estonia. Poland has recently secured a $10.5 billion weapons deal with Washington to purchase 208 Patriot PAC-3 missiles in addition to 16 launchers and four radars.
“Anti-missile defense sites in Japan and South Korea will join this circle [against Russia],” Fomin argued, noting that “overall, some 400 anti-ballistic missiles will be deployed, significantly diminishing the potential of Russia’s nuclear deterrent.”
Tokyo has recently approved the deployment of Lockheed Martin Aegis Ashore systems on its territory to defend itself from potential “surprise attacks,” while Seoul has already installed the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system.
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