Russia Deploys Missiles to Kaliningrad
Russia has extensive missiles in the region. Source: BBC
Russia has deployed its nuclear-capable Iskander missiles to the enclave of Kaliningrad, between the nations of Poland and Lithuania, reports Radio Free Europe. On October 8, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that the missiles had been placed there, but insisted that the move was merely part of routine training drills. Iskander missiles have a relatively short range of around 500 km (about 311 miles), but their deployment to Russia’s westernmost point means they are within range of NATO countries such as Poland, the Baltic states, and even Berlin. The Kremlin’s decision to place the weapons at the gates of the EU and NATO (both Lithuania and Poland are member states), has been interpreted as highly threatening. Lt. Gen. Riho Terras, the chief of staff of the Estonian Defense Forces, explained this threat. He told Estonian broadcaster ERR that "In the long term, Russia's wish is to bring the Baltic Sea and the passages leading to it more and more under its control, and to control it much like it does the Black Sea."
Russia’s actions escalated the tensions between NATO and Moscow. In July, President Obama announced that 1,000 more NATO troops would be stationed in Poland. Poland also began to move forward with its plans to purchase Patriot air and missile defense systems from the United States. Russia’s most recent move could be interpreted as a response to the Polish government’s increased focus on bolstering its defense capabilities.
Major General Igor Konashenkov, a Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson, attempted to calm the nerves of Western governments by stating that the missile system deployed to Kaliningrad was mobile, so it was not out of the ordinary that the weapons were “covering great distances” as part of regular military exercises. In fact, he even claimed that one of the missiles had been purposefully exposed to U.S. aerial spy cameras while they were being transported from Russia proper to Kaliningrad via civilian transport ship.
Moscow has long threatened to place missiles in Kaliningrad, which serves as an important strategic territory as the enclave hosts both Russia’s Baltic Fleet and a number of ground units. This is not an isolated incident: in 2014, the Russians moved a number of missiles to the enclave temporarily. Similarly, at that time, the Kremlin rejected claims that the action was aggressive, asserting that the movement was part of a training drill.
“For Warsaw and several other NATO capitals, this move resembles a Baltic version of the Cuban missile crisis,” writes John Schindler in the Observer. U.S.-Russia relations are at an all-time low, following accusations of Russian hackers interfering in the U.S. presidential elections and the recent breakdown of the Syrian ceasefire.