Putin says Russia should resume production of short- and medium-range missiles
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin said that Russia should resume production of medium- and short-range missiles and then decide where to deploy them.
The head of the Kremlin said this on Friday, June 28, during a meeting of the Russian Security Council, Radio Liberty informs, Censor.NET reports.
Putin said that the United States is deploying its medium- and short-range missiles "in different regions of the world," adding that this "is a matter of concern and requires a reaction." Therefore, he said, Russia "needs to start producing these strike systems" and then decide where to deploy them.
"Apparently, we need to start producing these strike systems and then, based on the actual situation, decide where, if necessary to ensure our security, to deploy them," the Russian dictator said.
However, the Kremlin leader did not specify where exactly Russia plans to deploy medium- and short-range missiles.
Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty
The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty) between the USSR and the United States was signed at the end of the Cold War in 1987 in Washington, DC, by the then heads of state Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan.
The treaty was in effect until 2019. In the same year, the then administration of US President Donald Trump, claiming that Russia had violated the treaty by deploying the 9M729 missile system, announced the termination of the treaty.
In August 2019, the Russian Foreign Ministry officially announced that the treaty had ceased to be in force.
Intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles (IRBMs) (SRBMs) are ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles capable of ranges of 500 to 5,500 kilometers.
