Russia threatens to point missiles at strategic US targets in Europe

RUSSIA could point missiles at strategic US targets in central Europe, including planned American missile shield sites in Poland and the Czech Republic, a senior Russian general said yesterday.

“I can’t exclude that if such decisions are taken by our military-political leadership, the missile shield in Poland and the Czech Republic, and other such objects could be chosen as designated targets for some of our inter-continental ballistic missiles,” General Nikolai Solovtsov said.

Moscow “is obliged to take corresponding measures that prevent under any circumstances the devaluing of Russia’s nuclear deterrent.

“We should be sure that the current and future strategic missile forces... are guaranteed to fulfil the task of strategic deterrence,” said Solovtsov, the head of Russia’s strategic missile forces.

Solovtsov added that by the end of the year Russia planned to carry out four strategic missile tests, including a test of the new RS-24, capable of carrying a clutch of independently targetable warheads.

The comments came as tensions mounted between Russia and the United States over last month’s Russian military surge into Georgia and the fraught question of missile defence. Poland and the US reached a deal last month on building the site for 10 US missile interceptors by 2012.

Observers said the conclusion of the deal, after months of protracted negotiations, was prompted by Russia’s war last month with Georgia, which had alarmed former Soviet bloc countries and others neighbouring Russia. The US has said the defences are meant to protect Europe and America from attacks from Iran.

But Russian officials have said repeatedly that they consider the site a threat and have threatened to attack Poland. While the 10 missile interceptors planned for Poland could not themselves undermine Russia’s arsenal, Moscow was troubled by a lack of transparency in the project, Solovtsov said.

Moscow sees the plans for new US missile defence facilities in central Europe as part of an effort to encircle Russia.

Also yesterday, Georgia accused Russian soldiers of violating a fragile truce by killing a Georgian policeman, as a major crack appeared in the EU-brokered ceasefire over the remit of EU observers.

The Georgians said it was the first fatal shooting since the August 12 ceasefire that brought an end to the five-day war between Georgia and Russia over Georgia’s breakaway region of South Ossetia.

“This is the first time that Georgian police or military personnel have been shot at since the ceasefire began,” Georgian interior ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili said.

An unnamed spokesman for the Russian forces in South Ossetia quoted by Interfax denied the incident and said he would not believe it until the Georgians showed him the body.Russia has pledged to remove checkpoints surrounding South Ossetia within a month.