Mark Matheny
November 30, 2011
Russia has now opened a new Missile Warning Defense Station in Kaliningrad in response to what it sees as a threat from a joint U.S.-NATO missile defense system being implemented in Europe. According to International Business Times:
The Pionerskoye, Kaliningrad radar can detect incoming missiles as far as 6,000 kilometres away and allow Russia's military to decide on a retaliatory nuclear strike. Air and Space Forces chief Oleg Ostapenko said the range, which covers the entire Europe up to the Atlantic Ocean, exceeded that of existing early-warning stations near St. Petersburg and in Belarus.
President Dmitry Medvedev has stated the Radar station has been opened because Russia needs to have the ability to respond to threats posed by the European Defense System. The U.S. -NATO Anti-missile batteries are under plans to be deployed in the Czech Republic and Poland by the year 2020.President Medvedev also stated that the Russian Defense system is not specifically targeted at the West, and that the system could be integrated into a Joint NATO-Russian Defense Shield, while also threatening to deploy missiles in Kaliningrad and other locations around Russia if an agreement can not be reached.
According to a Press TV report, Russia has also threatened to block NATO supply routes to Afghanistan if the Western powers do not address Russia's concern over the NATO-US missile defenses planned for Europe.
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