MOSCOW (AP) — A senior Russian lawmaker says Moscow could deploy more state-of-the-art missiles in its westernmost region in response to the U.S. military buildup in Poland.
The head of the Russian parliament's defense affairs committee, Retired Gen. Vladimir Shamanov, said Thursday that Russia could take retaliatory steps in response to the U.S. increasing the number of its weapons in Poland.
Shamanov said, in remarks carried by Russian news agencies, that Moscow could deploy additional Iskander missile systems in its western areas, including the Kaliningrad exclave. The Baltic region borders NATO members Poland and Lithuania.
Iskander has a range of up to 500 kilometers (310 miles) and high precision, allowing it to target facilities in several NATO member nations with pinpoint accuracy. It can be fitted with a conventional or a nuclear warhead.