The military has begun deploying S-400 mobile surface-to-air missiles in Kaliningrad, the Baltic exclave bordered by Poland and Lithuania, Izvestia reported.
Izvestia cited unidentified military officials as saying the missiles arrived Friday, but did not say how many.
The Defense Ministry declined to comment on the report.
S-400s, Russia's most advanced surface-to-air missiles, have a range of 120 to 400 kilometers. S-400s are already deployed around Moscow and are planned to be placed in the Pacific Far East this year. The Izvestia report comes amid rising tension between the United States and Russia over Washington's plans for a missile-shield system in Europe, which Russia contends threatens its own defenses.
In a sign of the sensitivity of the issue, state news agency RIA-Novosti late last week released a full version of an April 2 with U.S. Ambassador Michael McFaul, saying some of his remarks about missile defense had been "omitted" in the interview's initial publication.
"In the process of video editing, some important remarks by McFaul were omitted, resulting in a brief clip that did not reflect his full response on this topic," RIA-Novosti said on its website. "For the record, RIA-Novosti has published a more complete clip containing McFaul's full remarks."
(AP, MT)
… we have a small favor to ask. As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.
Remind me later.
