Russia says that it will continue deploying Iskander strategic missiles in Kaliningrad despite Western protests
The Russian State Duma has commented on Washington's plans to monitor the deployment of the Russian Iskander missile system in the Kaliningrad region. Yury Shvytkin, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Defense and Security Committee, said that Moscow will continue to deploy the weapons in order to "maintain the balance”.
"We will deploy them [the Iskander missiles] and similar types of weapons where we find it necessary to strengthen our borders and maintain the balance that the US is trying to break through the deployment of various missile installations," explained Shvytkin.
According to Deputy Chairman, the deployment of American missile defense systems near the Russian border is of an "offensive" character.
Earlier, the Pentagon also noted the offensive and "destabilizing" nature of the deployment of the Iskander missiles in the Kaliningrad region. The United States Department of Defense also reported plans to monitor the deployment of any missiles by Moscow.
On February 5, Lithuanian Defense Minister Raimundas Karoblis and Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė reported that Russia had deployed Iskander short-range ballistic missiles in the Kaliningrad Region. The Kremlin, in turn, explained that Russia took this step in response to the creation of an "anti-Russian missile system" in Europe.