Russian Nukes to Kaliningrad Should Be No Surprise

The military exercises ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 16 continue at a high pace, involving a greater scale of Russian forces each day. Western media outlets are nearly hysterical about the deployment of Iskander missiles to Kaliningrad (via amphibious ships, according to Defense Ministry statements) and of nuclear-capable Tu-22M Backfire bombers to Crimea. In reporting on this, March 17th, Reuters notes that Moscow is refusing to even consider returning Crimea to Ukraine and is “militarizing” the Arctic while also militarily reinforcing Kaliningrad—and doing all of this despite U.S. economic sanctions, which State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki yesterday vowed would not be lifted.

Lyndon LaRouche commented yesterday that the deployment of the Iskanders to Kaliningrad was to be expected, and is permanent: just look at the map, he noted; it’s set. The Russians have stated their approach clearly and repeatedly. None of the recent maneuvers or statements are surprising; it’s what they have been saying they would do, LaRouche said.

Readers of EIR will recall that, in a dramatic Nov. 23, 2011, nationwide TV broadcast, then President of Russia Dmitri Medvedev had warned specifically, that, if the U.S. and NATO continued with their deployment of their missile defense system on Russia’s borders, “the Russian Federation will deploy modern offensive weapon systems in the west and south of the country, ensuring our ability to take out any part of the U.S. missile defense system in Europe. One step in this process will be to deploy Iskander missiles in Kaliningrad Region.” Medvedev then concluded: “We are open to a dialogue and we hope for a reasonable and constructive approach from our Western partners.”

In that broader sphere of strategic policy, Moscow again repeated its public warnings this week. Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov told a Moscow press conference on March 17th, “It seems to be unlikely to reach new agreements between Russia and the United States in the near future, if ever. Russia’s security now depends not only on the balance of strategic nuclear weapons of Russia and the United States. It depends on many other factors, such as U.S. global missile defense plans, the situation in the area of sea-based long-distance cruise missiles, and other types of long-distance high-precision systems.”

Similarly, Deputy Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Department on Security Affairs and Disarmament Vladimir Leontyev said last week:

As for Russia’s military exercises, in addition to the Iskander and Backfire bomber deployments, the Russian Defense Ministry reported today that at least one of the Delta IV-class nuclear ballistic missile submarines of the Northern Fleet also deployed and was visited by Chief of the General Staff Gen. Valeriy Gerasimov. The Defense Ministry said that “the results of the training confirmed that ballistic missile crews were ready to perform their combat tasks,” reports Sputnik News.

Other aspects of the exercises include the following, all reported by TASS:

• The Western Military District announced, today, that more than 20 ships of the Baltic Sea Fleet are engaged in anti- submarine and anti-aircraft drills.

• About 30 assault and attack helicopters from airfields in the Leningrad and Smolensk regions are being deployed to the Arctic.

• Paratroopers from Russia’s northwestern Pskov region have been put on high combat alert as part of the command and staff exercise. They will march to their airfields before being deployed to shooting ranges.

• 1,500 ground troops will be conducting live fire exercises at the Mulino training range, about 360 km east of Moscow, with T-72 tanks and BMP-2 fighting vehicles.