MOSCOW -- The Kremlin on Tuesday brushed off Western criticism of the deployment of state-of-the-art missiles in Russia's Baltic Sea region, describing it as an equivalent response to NATO's military buildup near its borders. The Russian military has reportedly stationed Bastion anti-ship missiles in Kaliningrad, a piece of Russian territory between Poland and Lithuania, while a senator, Viktor Ozerov, said on Monday that Russia would deploy Iskander ballistic missiles and S-400 missile-defence systems in Kaliningrad. MOSCOW (AP) — The Russian military has deployed state-of-the art anti-shipping missiles in the nation's westernmost Baltic region, the Interfax news agency reported Monday, a move that comes amid spiraling tensions in Russia-West ties. The Russian military said the move was part of regular training, but didn't specify whether the missiles were sent there temporarily or deployed on a permanent basis. "To counter these threats, we will be forced to strengthen our air and missile defenses in the western vector and to deploy additional means to defend the relevant command-and-control infrastructure," Viktor Ozerov, chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Defense and Security, told RIA News agency in an interview, according to Reuters. U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby warned Monday that the deployment of Iskander and S-400 missiles to Kaliningrad is "destabilizing to European security" and urged Russia to "refrain from words or deeds that are inconsistent with the goal of promoting security and stability in the Euro-Atlantic region."
Russia deploys its S-400 missile system in Kaliningrad, an exclave between Poland and Lithuania, in response to "NATO expansion" near its borders. The United States criticizes the move as "destabilizing" to Europe. Russia announced the planned deployment over a decade ago.