U.S. accused Russia of violating arms control treaty

Russia has deployed a land-based cruise missile that violates the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty and poses a threat to most of NATO facilities in Europe, Vice Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff General Paul Selva said on Wednesday.

Acting spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State Mark Toner echoed the statement, saying “we believe the Russian Federation remains in violation of its… INF Treaty obligations.”

It was the first public accusation by the U.S. military of the deployment after reports said last month that Russia had secretly deployed the ground-launched SSC-8 cruise missile that Moscow has been developing and testing for several years. Russian president’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov denied the reports, saying Russia adhered to all its international commitments.

The Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty came into effect on June 1, 1988, obliging the U.S. and the Soviet Union not to possess, produce, or flight test a ground-launched cruise missile with a range capability of 500 to five – 5,500 kilometers or to possess or produce launchers of such missiles.