Russia suspended the works to deploy Iskander missile complexes in the Kaliningrad enclave. Moscow intended to station the systems in the region in response to missile plans of the United States in Europe.
An official spokesman for the General Staff of Russia’s Armed Forces said Wednesday that the execution of the plans was suspended because the new US administration was not emphasizing the idea to deploy the elements of its missile defense system in Eastern Europe, Interfax quoted the anonymous official as saying.
“There is no need for Russia to deploy Iskander systems in the Kaliningrad region if the USA does not deploy elements of its missile defense system in Europe ,” the official added.
Russia’s Defense Ministry officials said that it was too early to make any precise statement about the deployment of Iskander systems in Russia’s Kaliningrad enclave.
“It is an elaboration of the General Staff, it is not a real action. The Defense Ministry has not made any practical measures regarding the issue,” a high ranking official told RIA Novosti news agency.
The official stressed out that the General Staff deals with the elaboration of various responses to all kinds of security threats, including “the invasion of insects and the Martians.”
“One should at least form a division, train it and provide it with the required equipment. “None of that has been done yet,” the official added.
Russia’s Dmitry Medvedev announced an intention to deploy Iskander missile complexes in the Kaliningrad region in the beginning of November 2008. Medvedev said in his address to the Federal Assembly that Russia would not become involved in another arms race. However, he added, Moscow would watch closely NATO’s unfriendly steps.
Moscow currently hopes for a positive turn of its relations with Washington. In the meantime, Zbigniew Brzezinsky, a one-time national security advisor to President Carter, stated not so long ago that the intention of the US administration to deploy interceptor missiles and radar stations in Europe virtually depended on Russia’s belligerence.
Iskander (NATO reporting name SS-26 Stone) is a short range, solid fuel propelled, road mobile, theater ballistic missile system produced in Russia and adopted by the Russian Army in 2006.
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