Russia missile

European countries bordering Russia's
territory of Kaliningrad say they are worried
at reports that Moscow has put nuclear-
capable missiles there.
Lithuania and Poland both issued statements of
concern.
Russia has not confirmed the report but insists
it has every right to station missiles in its
western-most region.
Moscow has long threatened to move Iskander
short-range missile systems to Kaliningrad in
response to the United States' own European
missile shield.
Russia sees the missile shield as a threat to its
nuclear deterrent.
It was one of the biggest sources of
confrontation between Moscow and Washington
during the presidencies of George W Bush and
Vladimir Putin.
President Barack Obama tried to "reset"
relations with Russia, and the shield system was
revised - but it survived in a different form and
continued to antagonise Russia.
'No violation'
The US insists that the missile shield is not
aimed at Russia but designed to defend Europe
from attack from "rogue states" - assumed to
include Iran.
A Russian defence ministry spokesman, Igor
Konashenkov, did not confirm the report - in the
German newspaper Bild - that the Iskander
system had been deployed to Kaliningrad.
But he did say: "Iskander operational-tactical
missile systems have indeed been commissioned
by the Western Military District's missile and
artillery forces," adding that Russia's
deployment "does not violate any international
treaties or agreements".
The Western Military District includes parts of
western and north-western Russia, including the
Kaliningrad exclave, which is separated from
Russia proper and wedged between Poland,
Lithuania, and the Baltic Sea.
The Russian newspaper Izvestia reported on
Monday that the missiles had already been
stationed in the area for more than a year.
Lithuania's Defence Minister Juozas Olekas said:
"I am worried about signals that Russia is about
to modernise missile systems it has deployed in
Kaliningrad.
"Further militarisation of this region, bordering
the Baltic states and Nato, creates further
anxiety, and we will be watching the situation
there closely.''
The Polish foreign ministry said: "Plans to deploy
new Iskander-M rockets in [Kaliningrad] are
worrying."
It added that such a deployment "would
contradict effective Polish-Russian co-operation,
in particular with respect to this region, and
undermine constructive dialogue between Nato
and Russia. We will raise this topic in our
bilateral contacts with the Russian side."