The Rise of the Second Soviet Empire

[vector7]

Russia And China Prepare For The Day When They Will Nuke The US

Posted By Michael Snyder on Nov 7, 2013 in Articles, World News |



While Barack Obama is busy gutting the U.S. nuclear arsenal, Russia and China are rapidly preparing for the day when they will nuke the United States. To most Americans, it sounds very strange to hear that Russia and China are concerned about nuclear war. After all, isn’t the Cold War over? Isn’t that what politicians from both major political parties keep telling us? Unfortunately, the truth is that Russia and China both consider the United States to be their number one geopolitical threat, and both nations have been systematically strengthening and updating their strategic forces. At the end of last month, Russia held a large-scale military drill that involved the launch of four nuclear missiles, and the Chinese government released a major report for the public which included maps showing what would happen to major U.S. cities in the event of a nuclear attack by Chinese submarines. Obama may blindly believe that wishful thinking and unilateral disarmament will keep the United States safe, but Russia and China are taking a much different path.



Both of them believe that a military conflict with the United States in the future is quite likely, and they are rapidly preparing for that eventuality.

The major nuclear drill conducted by Russia at the end of last month made headlines all over the planet…

Russian strategic forces carried out a large-scale surprise military drill on Wednesday, launching four nuclear missiles that were closely monitored by U.S. intelligence agencies, U.S. officials said.

The drill began around 9:00 am ET and included the test launch of two land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and two submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs).

But this was far from an isolated incident. In fact, it has been reported that Russian missile forces will hold more than 200 drills during the second half of 2013.

Things have very much changed in Russia since the end of the Cold War era. Back then, Russia did not have a lot of money to put into the military. But now Russian President Vladimir Putin is working very hard to strengthen and modernize Russian nuclear forces…

Russia is developing several new missiles, including a weapon U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed as a covert intermediate-range nuclear missile called the RS-26 that is being developed and tested in apparent violation of the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty.

The Russian government has denied the RS-26 violates the INF treaty and claims it is a new ICBM, which some arms compliance experts say is a violation of the 2010 New START treaty.

Russia is also developing a new submarine-launched ballistic missile and a new class of missile submarines.

The missile submarines are of particular concern. Russia has introduced a new “near silent” nuclear submarine which is far quieter than anything the U.S. currently has…

The Borey Class submarine, dubbed Vladimir Monomakh, has a next generation nuclear reactor, can dive deeper than 1,200 feet, and carries up to 20 nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM).

Each of these “Bulava” ICBM’s can carry ten detachable MIRV warheads, what they call “re-entry vehicles,” capable of delivering 150 kiloton yields per warhead.

These subs have the capability of approaching the coastline of the United States without us ever even knowing that they were there.

Most Americans do not realize this.

Most Americans also do not realize that Russia has more spies inside the United States today than it did at any point during the Cold War.

Russia is more of a threat to the United States today than it ever has been before, but the American people are completely and totally oblivious to this.

Meanwhile, China is publicly bragging about what their nuclear submarines could do to us.

Late last month, the Chinese government released a report which included maps which showed the projected results of a nuclear strike on major U.S. cities. This report was heavily covered by government-controlled media outlets in China such as China Central TV, the People’s Daily, the Global Times, the PLA Daily and China Youth Daily.

The following are a couple of excerpts from that report…

“If we launch our DF-31A ICBMs over the North Pole, we can easily destroy a whole list of metropolises on the East Coast and the New England region of the U.S., including Annapolis, Philadelphia, New York, Boston, Portland, Baltimore, and Norfolk, whose population account accounts for about one eighth of America’s total residents.”

—–

“Because the Midwest states of the U.S. are sparsely populated, in order to increase the lethality, [our] nuclear attacks should mainly target the key cities on the West Coast of the United States, such as Seattle, Los Angles, San Francisco, and San Diego.”

In recent years, China has been working hard to develop a new generation of inter-continental and submarine-launched nuclear missiles. The following is from a recent article posted on the Washington Free Beacon…

China is rapidly expanding its nuclear forces with new missiles, submarines, and warheads. At least one of the warheads is based on warhead designs stolen from U.S. nuclear weapons laboratories in the 1990s, U.S. officials have said.

The submarine-launched missiles that they have been developing are of particular concern. The following is from a recent article posted on Investors.com…

China’s sub fleet is reportedly the world’s second-largest, with about 70 vessels. About 10 are nuclear-powered, and four or more of those are nuclear ballistic submarines.

In 2010, the Type 094 Jin class entered the service. It is capable of launching 12 to 16 JL-2 missiles with a range of about 8,700 miles, covering much of the continental U.S. with single or multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicle warheads.

Do you remember a few years ago when a Chinese submarine fired a test missile from just off the west coast of the United States?

The U.S. Navy did not even know that the sub was there. If that missile had been fired directly at Los Angeles, it would have been incinerated long before the U.S. government could ever have responded.

Are you starting to get the picture?

In response, the Obama administration will not even comment on this latest Chinese report…

The Obama administration declined to comment on Sunday on provocative state-run Chinese media reports outlining Beijing’s nuclear war plans, including land-based and submarine-launched missile strikes on U.S. cities that would kill up to 12 million people.

State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf and Pentagon spokeswoman Cynthia Smith would not respond when asked about the highly unusual Chinese reports published Oct. 28 in numerous major Communist Party-controlled television and newspaper outlets.

The Chinese reports included maps showing nuclear strikes on Los Angeles and the Pacific Northwest, along with the resulting radiation plumes stretching thousands of miles across the western United States.

You see, the truth is that talking about what China is doing does not fit in with the Obama administration’s “progressive agenda”. Obama has been systematically disarming America, and most Americans do not even realize that it has been happening.

Most Americans just continue to believe that we still have a very robust strategic nuclear deterrent.
Unfortunately, that is no longer the case.

Back in 1967, the U.S. military had more than 31,000 strategic nuclear warheads.

Since that time, the U.S. strategic nuclear arsenal has been reduced by about 95 percent,

The START Treaty that Obama agreed to back in 2010 will limit both the United States and Russia to a maximum of 1,550 deployed strategic nuclear warheads.

But that is not nearly enough of a reduction for Obama.

Back in June, he declared that “after a comprehensive review” he has decided that the United States can reduce the number of our deployed nuclear warheads by another one-third…

After a comprehensive review, I’ve determined that we can ensure the security of America and our allies, and maintain a strong and credible strategic deterrent, while reducing our deployed strategic nuclear weapons by up to one-third. And I intend to seek negotiated cuts with Russia to move beyond Cold War nuclear postures.

That would leave us with around 1,000 warheads.

And thanks to the various treaties that we have signed, Russia will know where most of those warheads are located.

So this makes a scenario in which Russia and China collectively conduct a first strike against the United States much more conceivable. If Russia or China knows exactly where our warheads are, it would be very easy to take most of them out in less than 10 minutes with a submarine-based first strike.

Of course most Americans never even think about such things anymore, and our politicians certainly are not talking about them.

But Russia and China are thinking about these things, and they are rapidly preparing for the day when war comes and they choose to nuke us before we nuke them.

[Avvakum]

Russia And China Prepare For The Day When They Will Nuke The US

Posted By Michael Snyder on Nov 7, 2013 in Articles, World News |



While Barack Obama is busy gutting the U.S. nuclear arsenal, Russia and China are rapidly preparing for the day when they will nuke the United States. To most Americans, it sounds very strange to hear that Russia and China are concerned about nuclear war. After all, isn’t the Cold War over? Isn’t that what politicians from both major political parties keep telling us? Unfortunately, the truth is that Russia and China both consider the United States to be their number one geopolitical threat, and both nations have been systematically strengthening and updating their strategic forces. At the end of last month, Russia held a large-scale military drill that involved the launch of four nuclear missiles, and the Chinese government released a major report for the public which included maps showing what would happen to major U.S. cities in the event of a nuclear attack by Chinese submarines. Obama may blindly believe that wishful thinking and unilateral disarmament will keep the United States safe, but Russia and China are taking a much different path.



Both of them believe that a military conflict with the United States in the future is quite likely, and they are rapidly preparing for that eventuality.

The major nuclear drill conducted by Russia at the end of last month made headlines all over the planet…

Russian strategic forces carried out a large-scale surprise military drill on Wednesday, launching four nuclear missiles that were closely monitored by U.S. intelligence agencies, U.S. officials said.

The drill began around 9:00 am ET and included the test launch of two land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and two submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs).

But this was far from an isolated incident. In fact, it has been reported that Russian missile forces will hold more than 200 drills during the second half of 2013.

Things have very much changed in Russia since the end of the Cold War era. Back then, Russia did not have a lot of money to put into the military. But now Russian President Vladimir Putin is working very hard to strengthen and modernize Russian nuclear forces…

Russia is developing several new missiles, including a weapon U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed as a covert intermediate-range nuclear missile called the RS-26 that is being developed and tested in apparent violation of the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty.

The Russian government has denied the RS-26 violates the INF treaty and claims it is a new ICBM, which some arms compliance experts say is a violation of the 2010 New START treaty.

Russia is also developing a new submarine-launched ballistic missile and a new class of missile submarines.

The missile submarines are of particular concern. Russia has introduced a new “near silent” nuclear submarine which is far quieter than anything the U.S. currently has…

The Borey Class submarine, dubbed Vladimir Monomakh, has a next generation nuclear reactor, can dive deeper than 1,200 feet, and carries up to 20 nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM).

Each of these “Bulava” ICBM’s can carry ten detachable MIRV warheads, what they call “re-entry vehicles,” capable of delivering 150 kiloton yields per warhead.

These subs have the capability of approaching the coastline of the United States without us ever even knowing that they were there.

Most Americans do not realize this.

Most Americans also do not realize that Russia has more spies inside the United States today than it did at any point during the Cold War.

Russia is more of a threat to the United States today than it ever has been before, but the American people are completely and totally oblivious to this.

Meanwhile, China is publicly bragging about what their nuclear submarines could do to us.

Late last month, the Chinese government released a report which included maps which showed the projected results of a nuclear strike on major U.S. cities. This report was heavily covered by government-controlled media outlets in China such as China Central TV, the People’s Daily, the Global Times, the PLA Daily and China Youth Daily.

The following are a couple of excerpts from that report…

“If we launch our DF-31A ICBMs over the North Pole, we can easily destroy a whole list of metropolises on the East Coast and the New England region of the U.S., including Annapolis, Philadelphia, New York, Boston, Portland, Baltimore, and Norfolk, whose population account accounts for about one eighth of America’s total residents.”

—–

“Because the Midwest states of the U.S. are sparsely populated, in order to increase the lethality, [our] nuclear attacks should mainly target the key cities on the West Coast of the United States, such as Seattle, Los Angles, San Francisco, and San Diego.”

In recent years, China has been working hard to develop a new generation of inter-continental and submarine-launched nuclear missiles. The following is from a recent article posted on the Washington Free Beacon…

China is rapidly expanding its nuclear forces with new missiles, submarines, and warheads. At least one of the warheads is based on warhead designs stolen from U.S. nuclear weapons laboratories in the 1990s, U.S. officials have said.

The submarine-launched missiles that they have been developing are of particular concern. The following is from a recent article posted on Investors.com…

China’s sub fleet is reportedly the world’s second-largest, with about 70 vessels. About 10 are nuclear-powered, and four or more of those are nuclear ballistic submarines.

In 2010, the Type 094 Jin class entered the service. It is capable of launching 12 to 16 JL-2 missiles with a range of about 8,700 miles, covering much of the continental U.S. with single or multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicle warheads.

Do you remember a few years ago when a Chinese submarine fired a test missile from just off the west coast of the United States?

The U.S. Navy did not even know that the sub was there. If that missile had been fired directly at Los Angeles, it would have been incinerated long before the U.S. government could ever have responded.

Are you starting to get the picture?

In response, the Obama administration will not even comment on this latest Chinese report…

The Obama administration declined to comment on Sunday on provocative state-run Chinese media reports outlining Beijing’s nuclear war plans, including land-based and submarine-launched missile strikes on U.S. cities that would kill up to 12 million people.

State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf and Pentagon spokeswoman Cynthia Smith would not respond when asked about the highly unusual Chinese reports published Oct. 28 in numerous major Communist Party-controlled television and newspaper outlets.

The Chinese reports included maps showing nuclear strikes on Los Angeles and the Pacific Northwest, along with the resulting radiation plumes stretching thousands of miles across the western United States.

You see, the truth is that talking about what China is doing does not fit in with the Obama administration’s “progressive agenda”. Obama has been systematically disarming America, and most Americans do not even realize that it has been happening.

Most Americans just continue to believe that we still have a very robust strategic nuclear deterrent.
Unfortunately, that is no longer the case.

Back in 1967, the U.S. military had more than 31,000 strategic nuclear warheads.

Since that time, the U.S. strategic nuclear arsenal has been reduced by about 95 percent,

The START Treaty that Obama agreed to back in 2010 will limit both the United States and Russia to a maximum of 1,550 deployed strategic nuclear warheads.

But that is not nearly enough of a reduction for Obama.

Back in June, he declared that “after a comprehensive review” he has decided that the United States can reduce the number of our deployed nuclear warheads by another one-third…

After a comprehensive review, I’ve determined that we can ensure the security of America and our allies, and maintain a strong and credible strategic deterrent, while reducing our deployed strategic nuclear weapons by up to one-third. And I intend to seek negotiated cuts with Russia to move beyond Cold War nuclear postures.

That would leave us with around 1,000 warheads.

And thanks to the various treaties that we have signed, Russia will know where most of those warheads are located.

So this makes a scenario in which Russia and China collectively conduct a first strike against the United States much more conceivable. If Russia or China knows exactly where our warheads are, it would be very easy to take most of them out in less than 10 minutes with a submarine-based first strike.

Of course most Americans never even think about such things anymore, and our politicians certainly are not talking about them.

But Russia and China are thinking about these things, and they are rapidly preparing for the day when war comes and they choose to nuke us before we nuke them.

A masterful plan. They had to at least on the surface jettison more 'stalinist' aspects of their regimes, give the illusion of capitalism, parlimentary representative democracy and freedoms of speech and expression and religion, to decieve both us and their captive societies. They managed them in the interim with chicago style electioneering and mafia gangland style tactics, undercover but effective. They put everyone to sleep, while getting us to reduce our nuclear arsenal and installing Leftist regimes everywhere-including the United States.

The time will come when they will present our government with a ultimatum in the face of overwhelming force, but like many in France in 1940's invasion by Germany, some 'on our side' will want our enemies to win, and rule over what remains as collaborators in the new order.

[American Patriot]

Obama is either in collusion with Russia, or he's so massively incompetent it's amazing he remembers to even breathe when he wakes up.

And Congress is right up there with him in incompetence.

Americans are stuck with their noses in Facebook whining at each other, their own families and loving this assclown instead of actually UNDERSTANDING the world.

They call me (us) Conservatives "racists" and "uneducated" - and really don't understand that we Conservatives have stood up to this kind of behavior in the past from the Soviets. Instead internally in our country, we've regressed politicall, militarily and educationally (Just LOOK at the history books being re-written and turned PC).

America is due for a reckoning soon. Whether it comes from within or without I can't and won't predict. But I predict with absolute certainty that it is coming.

[MinutemanCO]

I'm finding it harder and harder to believe that the Obama administration is not colluding with the major communist bodies of the world, including Russia. (Yes, Russia is still a communist oligarchy despite the theater that took place in the late 20th century). All you have to do is trace the backgrounds of the major players in the administration: Obama, Jarrett, Holder, various cabinet members and czars. In addition, view the "accomplishments" of the admin in its entirety. Look for patterns. Who exactly, as a geopolitical entity, has been on the receiving end of each and every effort of Obama et al? It certainly isn't America and her people.

[American Patriot]

It would be interesting to lay out a chart with their names, faces and political background, history and information about who they supported in the 60s, 70s and 80s wouldn't it?

[MinutemanCO]

Let's do it. We have the brain power and I think the motivation.

[vector7]

Don't forget the Clinton's.

[MinutemanCO]

I'm serious. Let's put some effort into this little project. A list of the players is a good place to start. But how far back should we go? If you listen to some, this stuff has been scripted for decades, meaning we'll need to focus efforts perhaps on the entire twentieth century on up to today.

[American Patriot]

Ok... let's examine this.

Start with a list. Obama - and list his current cabinet members, then list his "teachers and mentors". (Somewhere I started a list, I can't remember if it's on the site or not).

Then we examine each of them

[vector7]

Start with the Socialist Tree, then tie all the historic surrogates to the 45 Communist Goals.

[MinutemanCO]

Transferred to Obama's Influences Thread

[American Patriot]

We should put together a new thread, so we don't hork this one up.

Since it was your idea originally, why don't you start the thread?

[MinutemanCO]

Will do.

[MinutemanCO]

I started a thread in World Politics and Politicians entitled Obama's Influences.

[American Patriot]

saw it and posted.

[Avvakum]

Russian missile deployment raises alarm

By Dmitry Zaks 9 minutes ago

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Moscow (AFP) - Washington has joined Russia's neighbours in voicing alarm after Moscow revealed it had moved nuclear-capable Iskander missiles closer to EU borders in response to the US-led deployment of a disputed air defence shield.

Related Stories

• Moscow: missiles in western Russia legitimate Associated Press
• Russia has stationed Iskander missiles in western region: reports Reuters
• Poland says worried over Russian missile deployment Reuters
• US 'concern' over Russia missile plans AFP

The advanced version of the Russian missile has a range of 500 kilometres (310 miles) and could potentially be used to take out ground-based radar and interceptors of the new NATO shield.
Moscow's announcement Monday prompted concern from the United States as well as neighbouring Poland and three Baltic states -- Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia.
"We've urged Russia to take no steps to destabilize the region," State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf said in response, adding the US had also passed on to Moscow its neighbours' concerns.
Poland's foreign ministry called the planned missile movement "disturbing".
"This is a matter for NATO and we can expect possible consultations and action... at the NATO and EU level," the ministry added in a statement.
View gallery

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Constitutional Court Judges in the Kremlin i …

Latvia's Defence Minister Artis Pabriks said that "several Baltic cities" were threatened by the move.
"It is clear that it is alarming news as it is one of the arguments changing balance of powers in our region," he said, according to the Baltic News Service (BNS).
Germany's Bild newspaper first reported over the weekend that Russia had deployed about 10 Iskander systems in its Kaliningrad exclave -- wedged between Poland and Lithuania -- at some point in the past year.
A top Russian defence official said in response to the report that several Iskander batteries had been stationed in Russia's Western Military District -- a region that includes the exclave and also borders the three Baltic nations that were once a part of the USSR.
"Iskander operational-tactical missile systems have indeed been commissioned by the Western Military District's missile and artillery forces," Russian news agencies quoted defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov as saying.
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(L to R) NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Latvian President Berzins, Estonian President …

He added that Russia's deployment "does not violate any international treaties or agreements" and should therefore not be subject to protests from the West.
The Kremlin warned in 2011 that it could station the short- and medium-range ballistic missiles along the European Union's eastern frontier in response to NATO's missile defence programme.
Both the United States and the Western military alliance have argued that the shield is not aimed at Russia but is designed to protect the West from potential threats from so-called "rogue states".
But Moscow fears the system -- whose components include missile-positioning satellites -- may one day be turned into an offensive weapon that targets Russian soil.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that a deal with Tehran to curb its suspect nuclear program would make the NATO shield unnecessary.
View gallery

Latvian Minister of Defence Pabriks Artis (L) and British Secretary of Defense Philip Hammond speak …

But US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu on Monday that a preliminary nuclear deal with Iran "does not eliminate the need" for the NATO shield.
"Hagel stressed that US and NATO missile defense efforts pose no threat to Russia and urged that both sides continue consultations on future missile plans in Europe," the Pentagon said in a statement.
A report prepared by the US-based Stratfor global intelligence consultancy and published by the WikiLeaks website said most Iskander missiles had previously been stationed in Siberia and the volatile North Caucasus region.
Stratfor added that the long-mooted Kaliningrad move "is highly political, since (the Iskander) could reach into Germany or take out any American (ballistic missile defence) system".
The advanced version of the missile -- known as the Iskander-M -- was one of Russia's first major post-Soviet weapons and is now among its most prized military exports.
"The Iskander is a type of weapon that could influence the military and political situations in certain regions of the world," Russia's state-owned ITAR-TASS news agency said.
But military analysts said cash constraints have prevented the armed forces from deploying as many Iskander systems as originally hoped.
Stratfor estimated that only 60 Iskanders will have been "produced and implemented" by 2015 -- far too few to pose a serious threat to the West.
The analysts added that the Kremlin appears to be trying to use the threat of a potential attack to influence public opinion against the NATO defence shield in nations such as Poland.
"What they are doing resembles a propaganda campaign," said military affairs writer Pavel Felgenhauer. "They hope that the Poles will get frightened and come out against the deployment of US rockets."
But Alexander Konovalov of Moscow's Institute Strategic Assessment said the decision to deploy Iskanders closer to EU borders could leave Russia exposed in far more dangerous regions along its southern and eastern flanks.
"If they move all the Iskanders to the west, there will not be enough left to protect our southern and eastern borders, where they are really needed," Konovalov said.

[American Patriot]

Russia is moving short range (250 miles) Iskander missiles to an island in between two NATO countries in the Baltic region.

Just announced by FNC.

[American Patriot]

This has to do with the Ukraine some how.

[American Patriot]

Poland, Lithuania Nervous Over Reports Of Russian Missiles

by


December 16, 2013 4:29 PM


An undated file picture shows Russian missile complex "Iskander" on display during a military equipment exhibition in the Siberian town of Nizhny Tagil.


AFP/AFP/Getty Images



Poland and Lithuania say they are worried over Russian news reports that Moscow has placed nuclear-capable missiles in its Baltic territory of Kaliningrad, which lies between the two countries.


"Further militarization of this region, bordering the Baltic states and NATO, creates further anxiety, and we will be watching the situation there closely," Lithuania's Defense Minister Juozas Olekas said,


The reports that Warsaw and Vilnius have issued statements of concern over the alleged basing of Iskander short-range missiles in Kaliningrad as a counter to the U.S. plans for a missile shield in Europe. However, Moscow has sent mixed signals about such a deployment.


The BBC says:

"Russian defence ministry spokesman, Igor Konashenkov, did not confirm the report - in the German newspaper Bild - that the Iskander system had been deployed to Kaliningrad."


"But he did say: 'Iskander operational-tactical missile systems have indeed been commissioned by the Western Military District's missile and artillery forces,' adding that Russia's deployment "does not violate any international treaties or agreements."


"The Western Military District includes parts of western and north-western Russia, including the Kaliningrad exclave, which is separated from Russia proper and wedged between Poland, Lithuania, and the Baltic Sea."


"The Russian newspaper Izvestia reported on Monday that the missiles had already been stationed in the area for more than a year."

However, reports that Russia's Defense Ministry has indeed confirmed the reports that Kaliningrad contains Iskanders, which NATO has designated :

"Rocket and artillery units of the Western Military District are really armed with Iskander tactical missile systems,' Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, head of the Defense Ministry's press service, told reporters on Monday."


"The concrete areas of the deployment of Iskander missile battalions in the Western Military District do not contradict any international agreements or treaties,' he added, as quoted by Interfax."

[American Patriot]

US, NATO express concern over Russian missile deployment near border

Alexander Nemenov / AFP - Getty Images file


A Russian Iskander ballistic missile launcher is rolled during a rehearsal for a military parade outside Moscow in April 2010. Russia has said all Russian missile brigades will be armed with Iskander systems by 2020.




By M. Alex Johnson, Staff Writer, NBC News


Russia confirmed Monday that it has deployed a state-of-the-art missile system closer to Lithuania and Poland, a move the U.S. and NATO foreign ministers warned could destabilize the region.


"Missile troops and artillery units of the Western Military District are in fact armed with Iskander operational and tactical missile systems," Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for the Defense Ministry, told the Russian news agency Itar-Tass, confirming reports by the German newspaper Bild.


The Western Military District includes the region of Kaliningrad, which borders Lithuania and Poland.


Iskander, a high-speed, mobile ballistic missile system with a range up to 300 miles, was introduced in 2006. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the system is vital to balancing the development of a NATO missile defense for Europe.


In February, Col.-Gen. Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the Russian General Staff, said all Russian missile brigades would be armed with Iskander systems by 2020.
Western officials described the deployment revealed Monday as worrisome.


"Further militarization of this region, bordering the Baltic states and NATO, creates further anxiety, and we will be watching the situation there closely," Lithuanian Defense Minister Juozas Olekas told reporters Monday, according to The Associated Press.


At a briefing in Washington, Marie Herf, a spokeswoman for the State Department, said Washington had "shared with Russia the concerns that countries in the neighborhood have."


"We've urged Moscow to take no steps to destabilize the region," she said. "We've made that point with them."


But Konashenkov insisted that the deployment doesn't "run counter to international agreements."


And the Russian newspaper Izvestia quoted Viktor Zavarzin, deputy head of the defense committee of the lower house of Parliament, as saying: "We aren't threatening anyone. These are defensive systems."