US Missile Defence Systems Threaten Russian Strategic Deterrence System: Kremlin

Russia’s defense ministry says the constant increase in US Missile defense systems threatens the country’s deterrence capabilities as the number of warheads being deployed by the US will surpass the number which Moscow is capable of containing.

"According to our estimates, by 2022 the number of anti-ballistic missiles of the missile defense system will exceed 1,000, and will eventually surpass the number of warheads of Russian intercontinental ballistic missiles," Defense Ministry spokesman Alexander Yemelyanov said during the Russian-Chinese briefing on missile shield issues on the sidelines of the first committee of the UN General Assembly on Thursday, TASS reports.

Yemelyanov noted that the US missile defense system at the moment includes over 30 Ground-Based Interceptors (GBI), 130 RIM-161 Standard Missile 3 (SM-3) ship-based interceptor missile systems and 150 missile defense systems.

"I would like to note that over 60 interceptor missile are deployed in Europe, about 150% - as part of the Asia Pacific regional segment of missile defense," Yemelyanov said.

Yemelyanov further said the US missile defense system provokes other countries to build up their missile capabilities and thus causes a new spiral of arms race.

"Russia is confident that unlimited deployment of the US missile defense system is a major challenge to the global security, an impetus for an arms race and a threat for the humanity," the Russian ministry spokesman added.