Russia continues to produce short- and medium-range missiles.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that Russia has never stopped developing short- and medium-range missiles.
According to RIA Novosti, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, in an interview on the Russia 1 channel, stated that Russia has never stopped developing medium- and short-range missiles, even during the period of the deployment moratorium under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF).
“Right from the announcement of the INF Treaty, we made it clear that this only concerned not deploying those weapons, and did not mention halting research and development or abandoning these projects. That is, that time was used to create corresponding systems, to build a sufficiently powerful arsenal in this field. As I understand it, we now have that force,” the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister emphasized.
Under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, the parties committed not to test or deploy ground-launched ballistic or cruise missiles of intermediate range (1,001–5,500 km) and short range (500–1,000 km), nor to launch platforms for them.
At a Security Council meeting in late June 2024, President Vladimir Putin stated that the United States not only produces ground-launched medium- and short-range missiles, but has also deployed them to Denmark and the Philippines for military exercises. Putin noted that it remains unclear whether the US has completely withdrawn these weapons from those locations.
Washington unilaterally announced its withdrawal from the INF Treaty in early 2019. The agreement officially terminated on August 2, 2019.
The Russian Foreign Ministry announced on August 4th that the country no longer considers itself bound by the INF Treaty. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia has the right to deploy medium- and short-range missiles if NATO continues its actions near Russia's borders.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov also asserted that Russia's unilateral ban on the INF treaty is reaching a "logical end," as the West has underestimated Moscow's restraint.
