Putin says Russia will resume production of medium-range missiles

President Vladimir Putin announced on 28 June that Russia will resume the production of short and medium-range ground-launched missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

 

This decision comes in response to the United States’ actions to deploy such missiles in both Europe and Asia, according to Putin.

The United States formally withdrew from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, and Russia followed suit in 2019, citing U.S. accusations that Moscow had violated the agreement—a claim the Kremlin denied.

Subsequently, Russia imposed a moratorium on its own development of missiles previously banned under the INF Treaty.

“It is well known that the United States not only produces these missile systems but is already deploying them in Europe for exercises in Denmark,” Putin said during a meeting of the Russian Security Council.

“Recently, it was announced that these missile systems are in the Philippines. It is unknown whether they have been removed from there or not.”

Putin stated that Russia is compelled to respond.

“We must begin constructing these strike systems and then, based on the actual situation, make decisions about where—if necessary for our security—they should be deployed,” Putin said.