Posted on 11/29/2011 9:27:10 AM PST by Cardhu
Russia has turned on a new incoming missile early warning system in its westernmost region in response to US plans for a missile shield in Europe.
President Dmitry Medvedev ordered the system to be activated on a visit to the radar unit in Kaliningrad, a Baltic region bordering EU countries.
The unit is equipped with the new Voronezh-DM radar system.
Mr Medvedev has warned Russian missiles could be deployed on the EU's borders if the shield is installed.
Washington wants an anti-missile shield ready by 2020, arguing that it is necessary to provide protection from the potential missile threat posed by countries like Iran.
Under President George W Bush, the US had initially intended to locate major parts of the shield in Poland and the Czech Republic, but Russia objected vigorously.
When Barack Obama took office in the White House, he scaled back the original ambitions.
"Nato's missile defence system [is] designed to defend against threats from outside Europe - not designed to alter balance of deterrence," Nato chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen said in a recent tweet.
Domestic context
In a statement carried by Russian news agencies, Mr Medvedev said: "I expect that this step will be seen by our partners as the first signal of the readiness of our country to make an adequate response to the threats which the missile shield poses for our strategic nuclear forces."
Russia has said it may deploy Iskander ballistic missile launchers in Kaliningrad Quoted by Interfax, he said: "If our signal is ignored... we will deploy other means of defence including the adoption of tough counter-measures and the deployment of a strike group."
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
I repeat once again Iran is not a player but a disposable pawn in this game. Russia has less love with mullas than everyone in US administration. De-facto they are willing to destroy Iran with American hands. Their so-called “pro-Iran” policy is nothing but luring a mental patient to commit a suicide by police where Iran is standing for a crazed nut in a shoping mall given a big gun and US for a cop who has to solve a problem.
Kaliningrad enclave is Russian territory. They don’t have to lease it from anybody.
Realistically it’s no more Russian territory than are the Baltics or the area from Vilnius to Lvov stolen from Poland.
That said, I was thinking of Tallinn and confusing it with Kaliningrad the city/port. Not Kaliningrad the oblast as a whole.
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