MOSCOW, July 11. /TASS/. Russia launched efforts in response to the US decision to deploy long-range fires capabilities in Germany preemptively, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said.

Commenting on a joint statement from the United States and Germany on the deployment, he described the move as "regrettable in how destructive it is for regional security and strategic stability but not unexpected." However, "necessary work to prepare complementary countermeasures was started by relevant agencies in advance and it has since been done systematically," he added.

The senior Russian diplomat slammed the joint statement from Washington and Berlin as yet another proof how destabilizing the US policy has been "post-INF Treaty."

Moscow has repeatedly warned that actions on the part of the United States and its allies posing additional missile threats will not go unanswered, Ryabkov emphasized.

In its joint statement with Germany, released earlier, the United States said it will start deploying long-range fires units, "which have significantly longer range than current land-based fires in Europe," in Germany in 2026.