Deployment of US MK 41 launchers in Romania is a violation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, Russian Foreign Ministry official spokesperson Maria Zakharova told a briefing on Thursday, tass.ru reports.
We have repeatedly expressed our point of view and estimates of US missile defense plans and noted that they run counter to tasks of strengthening international security and stability,” she said. “However, the United States and their allies persistently continue to carry out this destabilizing and dangerous program, and the arguments they use are becoming less and less believable,” she added.
“On December 18 construction works were completed in Deveselu in Romania. After testing and fixing equipment, the facility will enter the stage of operational readiness in the first half of 2016,” Zakharova said. “Consequently, the second stage of adaptive approach to deploying elements of US global missile defense system in Europe was completed.” “MK 41 vertical launching systems are part of the missile defense system in the aforementioned place. They are used by US Navy ships for firing interceptor missiles and Tomahawk winged medium-range missiles,” Zakharova said. “This gives us grounds to consider their appearance on the ground as a direct violation of INF Treaty provisions by the United States,” she added.