Russia to respond to NATO anti-missile network build-up

Russia will have to respond to the unrestricted development of NATO anti-missile defense system capable of intercepting intercontinental ballistic missiles, Russia's defense ministry said Friday.

"Given the unrestricted development of missile defense system capable of intercepting Russian intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), we will have to undertake countermeasures, as we have repeatedly underscored before," Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency, when commenting on the joint military exercises of NATO member states scheduled for October in the northern Atlantic.

The exercises involving the United States, Britain, Italy, Canada, the Netherlands, France, Norway are expected to practise the interception of Russian ICBMs, Antonov said.

"We cannot help being concerned about such kinds of drills," he added.

Building stationary facilities of a European anti-missile network, accompanied by a steady growth of mobile seaborne missile-interception systems "concerns Moscow gravely," he said.

Moscow has been on full alert to military maneuvers around Russia. Its armed forces launched a four-day snap drill to test combat readiness of the air and air defense units in the country's Central Military District on Monday, while Finland, Sweden and Norway started in northern Finland the Arctic Challenge Exercise 2015 air force exercise.

Earlier this month, Kiev revealed that it was considering deploying US missile defense systems in the Ukrainian territory to protect the country against a nuclear threat, which evoked a strong response from Moscow.
 Source:Xinhua - globaltimes.cn
29/5/15
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