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Deployment of Russian nuclear weapons in Crimea possible — Foreign Ministry

The head of the Foreign Ministry's non-proliferation department says he doesn't know if any nuclear weapons have been deployed in Crimea

MOSCOW, March 11. /TASS/. Russia can deploy nuclear weapons in Crimea as the peninsula is part of its territory, Mikhail Ulyanov, the head of the Foreign Ministry's non-proliferation department, said on Wednesday.

"We regard Crimea as part of the Russian Federation. Of Course, Russia has a right to deploy nuclear weapons in its territory if necessaey," Ulyanov said.

"I have no idea if any nuclear weapons are deployed there now and I am unaware of such plans but Russia can do it," he said.

The Russian Strategic Missile Forces commander Colonel-Geenral Sergey Karakayev said in December that Russia has no intention of deploying Strategic Missile Force units in Crimea.

"This is not necessary," he said. "The range of modern ballistic missiles allows to hit targets in any part of the globe without approaching Russia's borders."

"All missile complexes are deployed deep within Russia where they are protected from the enemy's destruction weapons," Karakayev said.