Russia Warns of Military-Technical Response if US Deploys Threatening Missile Systems

Moscow has warned that it will implement compensatory military-technical measures if the United States deploys intermediate- or short-range missile systems in any region that could threaten Russian security. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told TASS that Russia would respond appropriately to any deployment that undermines its strategic interests.

Ryabkov commented specifically on recent movements of the US Typhon missile system, capable of launching Tomahawk cruise missiles and other munitions. He said, “We will consider and apply compensatory military-technical measures if such systems are introduced in relevant regions from which they could pose a threat to our security.”

On November 17, reports indicated that the US had withdrawn Typhon mobile ground-based missile systems from the Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Japan. These systems, initially deployed for US-Japanese exercises, were removed after the drills concluded on September 25. Both China and Russia have expressed repeated concerns over medium-range weapons deployments in the Asia-Pacific, citing risks to regional stability.

Ryabkov stressed that the movement of such systems should not be overstated based on Washington’s changing considerations, noting that “the system has been developed and has already been used in relevant exercises.” He added that the Typhon’s presence in the region “has persisted long enough that it no longer makes sense to describe it as a short-term or isolated deployment,” calling it “a projection of force, as understood by the Pentagon.”