SAN FRANCISCO, December 1. /TASS/. Russia will fulfill its commitments under the New START treaty on further reduction of strategic arms by February 2018, Russia’s ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, said on Thursday.

"Despite the unilateral termination of the ABM (Anti-Ballistic Missile) Treaty, we were able to sign the New START. One of the main tasks of the current phase is to ensure that the goals on strategic arms envisaged by the treaty are achieved by February 2018," the ambassador said in his speech at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. "I would like to assure you that the Russian side will fulfill its obligations."

The Treaty between the United States and the Russian Federation on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms, also known as the New START Treaty, was signed by the Russian and US presidents on April 8, 2010 in Prague. It came into force after ratification by the two countries’ parliaments on February 5, 2011.

Under the treaty, each side undertakes to have 700 deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), deployed submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), and deployed heavy bombers equipped for nuclear armaments; 1,550 nuclear warheads on deployed ICBMs, deployed SLBMs, and deployed heavy bombers equipped for nuclear armaments; and 800 deployed and non-deployed ICBM launchers, SLBM launchers, and heavy bombers equipped for nuclear armaments.

According to the US Department of State, Russia currently has 501 deployed missiles and bombers and 1,561 deployed warheads. The United States has 660 deployed missiles and bombers and 1,393 deployed warheads.