Russia has issued a stark warning to the United States and its NATO allies, threatening to target a newly opened US missile defence base in Poland with “advanced weapons.”
The warning came just hours after Moscow reportedly launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) toward Ukraine on Thursday.
The US base in question, located in Redzikowo near Poland’s Baltic coast, is a critical component of NATO’s missile defence system, known as “Aegis Ashore.” Moscow condemned the base’s opening, claiming it would heighten nuclear risks globally.
“Given the nature and level of threats posed by such Western military facilities, the missile defence base in Poland has long been added to the list of priority targets for potential destruction, which, if necessary, can be executed with a wide range of advanced weapons,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated.
Zakharova described the base’s inauguration as “a frankly provocative step” and accused the US and NATO of engaging in destabilising actions. “This leads to undermining strategic stability, increasing strategic risks and, as a result, to an increase in the overall level of nuclear danger,” she said.
Poland, however, dismissed Russia’s claims, emphasising the base’s defensive nature. “It is a base that serves the purpose of defence, not attack,” said Pawel Wronski, Poland’s foreign ministry spokesperson. He added that such threats would strengthen Poland’s and NATO’s resolve to bolster their air defences, a move likely supported by the United States.
The Kremlin’s warning came on the heels of an alleged missile attack on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. Ukraine’s air force claimed that the Russian troops fired an ICBM from the Astrakhan region, located approximately 435 miles from Dnipro.
“Today, there was a new Russian missile. All the characteristics — speed, altitude — are of an intercontinental ballistic missile. ” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video statement that an expert investigation is underway.
When asked about Ukraine’s claims, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment, urging reporters to seek answers from the Russian military.
The potential use of an ICBM by Russia has escalated tensions in an already volatile region. This follows reports of Ukraine striking targets within Russian territory using US missiles earlier in the week, a move that Moscow previously warned could lead to severe retaliation and even World War III.
Poland’s newly operational base, part of NATO’s broader defence strategy, is designed to intercept short- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles. Despite Russian assertions, NATO maintains that the Aegis Ashore system is purely defensive and poses no threat to any nation.
The developments underscore rising geopolitical tensions as Western allies continue to support Ukraine against Russian aggression, while Moscow views these actions as existential threats to its security.
