Russia to resume production of nuclear-capable missiles: Putin

MOSCOW: Russia should start producing previously banned midrange missiles, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday, as Moscow warned the United States that drone reconnaissance flights over the Black Sea risked a “direct” military clash.

The call to bolster Russia´s military arsenal came days after Moscow angrily blamed Washington for a Ukrainian strike on the annexed Crimean peninsula that it says used US-supplied ATACMS missiles equipped with cluster munitions, killing four.

Russia has pledged a tough response to what it calls increased US involvement in the conflict.

In a televised address to his top security officials, Putin said Russia needed to start manufacturing missiles that were previously banned under a now-defunct Cold War treaty. He said the US had recently sent midrange missiles -- able to strike targets at a distance of 500 to 5,500-kms -- to Denmark for training exercises.

“We need to react to this and make decisions about what we should do next in this area. It seems that we need to start producing these strike systems,” Putin said. “And then, based on the reality of the actual situation, make decisions about where to deploy them for our security,” he said.

Such missiles, capable of carrying nuclear warheads, were previously banned under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, but Washington terminated the deal in 2019, blaming Russia for not complying with its terms.