MOSCOW, March 4. /TASS/. The United States’ missile defense buildup poses no threat to Russia’s security as the country has many options to defeat any threat, Viktor Bondarev, the chair of the Russian upper house’s defense and security committee, told TASS on Saturday.

Earlier in the day, a military-diplomatic source said that the United States had already deployed 400 anti-ballistic missiles on Russian borders.

"The US military buildup poses no threat to Russia’s security," Bondarev said. "We can give an appropriate response to any threat. It was vividly demonstrated the day before yesterday to the lawmakers, the entire country and the whole world."

The lawmakers added that Russian weapons, both the newest ones and those placed on combat duty before, are capable of evading the adversary’s anti-missile defenses.

In the early 2000s, the US unilaterally pulled out of the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM Treaty or ABMT) and began rolling out a global anti-missile defense system, "which elements are actually encircling Russia."

"After having done this, they claim that we are carrying out an arms race. On the other hand, this political behavior is typical of Americans," Bondarev noted. "I will remind that Russian weapons are exclusively defensive, but not offensive, as well as Russia’s military doctrine."

 

New weapons systems

On Thursday, in his speech to the Federal Assembly Russian President Vladimir Putin unveiled the most advanced systems of strategic weapons, developed in response to Washington’s unilateral withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM Treaty) and practical deployment of the ABM shield both inside the US and outside its borders.

Among the new cutting-edge weapons are the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, the Kinzhal hypersonic weapons system, a nuclear-armed cruise missile, as well as a dual-capable unmanned underwater vehicle, which is meant for conventional and nuclear missions.