Russia moves nuclear-capable missiles into Kaliningrad; vetoes UN resolution on Syria
MOSCOW: Russia moved nuclearcapable Iskander-M missiles into the Kaliningrad enclave bordering Poland and Lithuania, the defence ministry has said, adding it was part of routine drills.
“These missile units have been deployed more than once (in the Kaliningrad region) ... and will be deployed as part of military training of the Russian armed forces,” ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a statement on Saturday.
A US intelligence official said on Friday Russia had started moving the Iskander-Ms into the enclave on the Baltic in what he said could be a gesture to express displeasure with NATO.
Konashenkov said one of the missiles had been deliberately exposed to a US spy satellite.
Lithuania, neighbouring Kaliningrad and a member of NATO, said it would protest to Moscow. “The deployment not only increases tensions in the region, but also possibly violates international treaties which limit deployment of ballistic missiles of range of over 500 kilometres,” Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius told reporters.
On Saturday, Russia also vetoed a United Nations draft resolution demanding an end to the bombing of Syria’s war-battered city of Aleppo, despite an appeal from France to save the city from destruction.
It was the fifth time that Moscow used its veto to block UN action to end the five-year war in Syria, which has claimed 300,000 lives. The draft text presented by France won 11 votes in favour in the 15-member Security Council, but there were two votes against — including Russia — and two abstentions, notably from vetoholder China.