Russia deploys missiles on Estonia border

What the hell?

Russian missile move angers NATO member Estonia

Baltic NATO member Estonia on Tuesday slammed its neighbour and Soviet-era master Moscow for deploying missiles near their border, saying the move ran counter to ongoing fence-mending efforts.

"Russia's decision to position Iskander-class missiles on its western border is an alarming move," Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet told AFP.

On Saturday, the commander of Russia's ground forces Alexander Postnikov told Moscow Echo radio that Iskander missile systems were being put into service in the military region around the city of Saint Petersburg, which lies some 140 kilometres (90 miles) from Estonia.

Postnikov said the missiles would mainly be based in that region, but added they could also be deployed elsewhere at short notice.

Russia has also warned that it could deploy Iskander missiles in its Baltic territory of Kaliningrad -- which is sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania, both ex-communist NATO and EU members.

Iskander missiles have a range of 400 kilometres (250 miles), Estonian Defence Minister Jaak Aaviksoo noted.

The missiles deployed near Saint Petersburg would therefore be able to reach not only Estonia but also Lithuania, their fellow NATO and EU member Latvia, and neutral EU member Finland.

"Such a step is incomprehensible, considering both present-day security threats and present relations between Russia and NATO," the Baltic News Service quoted Aaviksoo as saying.

"We are aware of the deployment of Iskander missiles in the immediate vicinity of Estonian and NATO borders and we keep very close watch on everything that goes on beyond our borders," he said.

Russia preparing for some annexation of territory or what?

another move by a military super power.

i hope for the best, but fear the worst.

The missiles Russia have deployed is the Iskander-M model with a range of 400-500km and with a warhead of 480 kg of explosives.

It can be used as a bunker-buster, air burst, EMP or just normal hit the ground-explodes...

There is a remote chance that those are Iskander-K missiles, the ``secret`` version of it, with a range of 2000km, it's a ``cruise missile`` version of it. They were made exactly for hitting the US anti-missile base in Poland and across Europe.

You can find the info I just said everywhere on the net.

In May 2010 :
A battery of US surface-to-air Patriot-type missiles arrived Sunday at a Polish military base, the first such deployment on Polish soil, the US embassy in Warsaw said Monday.
Now give it a few months to install/set-up/training... and today they are probably near operational if not already.

Remember what Russia said...
A senior Russian general warned Poland today that it was leaving itself open to retaliation - and possibly even a nuclear strike - by agreeing to host a US missile base.

Russia clearly said that if the US install their missile shield in Poland, they are now a target and might be attacked.

Little exercise Russia did...
Russia 'simulates' nuclear attack on Poland

The armed forces are said to have carried out "war games" in which nuclear missiles were fired and troops practised an amphibious landing on the country's coast.

The documents state the exercises, code-named "West", were officially classified as "defensive" but many of the operations appeared to have an offensive nature.

I think Russia deploying those missiles is a retaliation against the US deployment of the anti-missile shield in Poland.

Now I'm not sure about this and I hope not, but I think Russia might be really thinking about destroying the US anti-missile base in Poland.

Why?

1. Because they think it's a threat to Russia nuclear retaliatory potential, making them open to a nuclear/conventional first strike by NATO.
2. They think Obama is weak.
3. They've seen North Korea sinking that SKorean ship, killing 46 SKorean soldiers... The US nor SKorea really did nothing.
4. Destroying the installation would kill at most 40-50 US soldiers.
5. It would send a strong signal that Russia doesn't allow NATO to destroy the concept of MAD in their advantage.
6. What will Obama do? Start WW3 over 50 dead US soldiers? I don't think so.

Originally posted by Vitchilo

I think Russia deploying those missiles is a retaliation against the US deployment of the anti-missile shield in Poland.

Indeed. To Russia, an anti-missile shield on it's borders is suggesting Russia is someone to be countered and against, thus Russia deploys it's own missiles and fulfills the self-fulfilling prophecy. The NeoCons rejoice.

Originally posted by Vitchilo
Now I'm not sure about this and I hope not, but I think Russia might be really thinking about destroying the US anti-missile base in Poland.

Why?

1. Because they think it's a threat to Russia nuclear retaliatory potential, making them open to a nuclear/conventional first strike by NATO.
2. They think Obama is weak.
3. They've seen North Korea sinking that SKorean ship, killing 46 SKorean soldiers... The US nor SKorea really did nothing.
4. Destroying the installation would kill at most 40-50 US soldiers.
5. It would send a strong signal that Russia doesn't allow NATO to destroy the concept of MAD in their advantage.
6. What will Obama do? Start WW3 over 50 dead US soldiers? I don't think so.

A North and South Korea-US confrontation would be completely different to a US-Russia confrontation. This is posturing by both sides, a game of chess, a dangerous game of chess, but a game of chess.

Russia sees itself as steadily being encircled by NATO and NATO's friends since 1991, and this view led to the rise of perceived strong men leaders like Putin and Medvedev, formely of the KGB.

Russia responds to what it sees as provocation.

As for the question of whether Obama would start WW3 over 50 dead soldiers, seriously? Don't rule it out, especially when Obama is perceived as weak and Obama may wish to show how 'strong' he actually is by unleashing war. This can be applied to his thinking of Iran as well.

I could only see this amount to something conflict-wise if:

A) An accidental launch occured.

B) Either side perceived the other as not responding in devastating kind to an attack. A very risky gamble.

C) If World War 3, following the overall chess pieces of the 'Great Game' moved into place that a US-Russia confrontation became unavoidable.


We had all this in the Cold War, this posturing. Russia became extremely weak in the 90's and NATO took advantage. Russia is trying to recover it's image that it is a global power, and one not to be messed with.

Originally posted by Vitchilo
I think Russia might be really thinking about destroying the US anti-missile base in Poland.

I agree, and the world shouldn't be shocked if/when it occurs. Russia said from the start they weren't going to put up with it being there and I don't blame them. NATO already surrounds them and its just too provocative to have this "shield" in place.


I don't think a Russian attack of this nature would lead to WWIII. NATO is a paper tiger long past its relevancy(it should have been disbanded in the early 90s), and the U.S. and Europe are going to have to take the "bitch slap" in stride and consider it a lesson learned.

This may be a strategic move to dissolve NATO but it's a risky one. Technically it would be an act of war against the alliance but there's no way in hell that the major powers of the alliance are going to honor article 5 in such a crisis. This would fracture the alliance. The recent Israeli-Turkey crisis also showed Russia how we feel about NATO members when push comes to shove. If you're not willing to side with one member during "crunch time", you're not willing to side with any of them. "An attack against one is an attack against all"......yeah sure, but only in fantasy land.

Russia knows we are in the Middle East for the long haul and have no plans to leave. Too much Texas Tea to even consider leaving. A conflict with Russia would cause us to deploy our forces in that region, leaving a power vacuum where we currently sit. NOT happening.

Russia can throw Europe into crisis by turning off the spigots. I can picture a scenario where Russia reunites the Soviet Union without the west firing a single shot.

Would Europe defend itself in the midst of a Russian missile strike?

Probably not.


Either way, I don't see WWIII on the horizon. If a conflict broke out in Europe, the U.S. and Russia would probably agree to wage the war only in Europe. As long as both major powers stick to that agreement, I doubt ICBMs would be raining down all over the globe.

In hindsight it's amazing this type of limited conflict didn't occur during the Cold War. There were war plans for such a scenario but both sides were too scared to fire the first shot. It really shows the effectiveness of MAD.

Originally posted by Vitchilo

The armed forces are said to have carried out "war games" in which nuclear missiles were fired and troops practised an amphibious landing on the country's coast.

The documents state the exercises, code-named "West", were officially classified as "defensive" but many of the operations appeared to have an offensive nature.

I think Russia deploying those missiles is a retaliation against the US deployment of the anti-missile shield in Poland.

Now I'm not sure about this and I hope not, but I think Russia might be really thinking about destroying the US anti-missile base in Poland.

Another possibility is that making this kind of thing not only public but ostentatious is giving a diplomatic "warning shot"-
In other words, this may be more about building up political pressure in the long term, than preparing for action in the short term.
I hope so, although the exercise of political power by Russia is always worrying.

I think this is the first move of severals.

Next step for Russia will be to deploy more Iskanders in Kaliningrad. Probably before the end of the year.

Then they may even withdraw from the nuclear disarmament treaty. This will probably take more time, depending on what the US does to counter the deployment of Iskanders in Kaliningrad.

Originally posted by Vitchilo
What the hell?

Russian missile move angers NATO member Estonia

Baltic NATO member Estonia on Tuesday slammed its neighbour and Soviet-era master Moscow for deploying missiles near their border, saying the move ran counter to ongoing fence-mending efforts.

"Russia's decision to position Iskander-class missiles on its western border is an alarming move," Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet told AFP.

On Saturday, the commander of Russia's ground forces Alexander Postnikov told Moscow Echo radio that Iskander missile systems were being put into service in the military region around the city of Saint Petersburg, which lies some 140 kilometres (90 miles) from Estonia.

Postnikov said the missiles would mainly be based in that region, but added they could also be deployed elsewhere at short notice.

Russia has also warned that it could deploy Iskander missiles in its Baltic territory of Kaliningrad -- which is sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania, both ex-communist NATO and EU members.

Iskander missiles have a range of 400 kilometres (250 miles), Estonian Defence Minister Jaak Aaviksoo noted.

The missiles deployed near Saint Petersburg would therefore be able to reach not only Estonia but also Lithuania, their fellow NATO and EU member Latvia, and neutral EU member Finland.

"Such a step is incomprehensible, considering both present-day security threats and present relations between Russia and NATO," the Baltic News Service quoted Aaviksoo as saying.

"We are aware of the deployment of Iskander missiles in the immediate vicinity of Estonian and NATO borders and we keep very close watch on everything that goes on beyond our borders," he said.

Russia preparing for some annexation of territory or what?

Russia preparing for some annexation of territory or what?

Russia preparing for liberation of eupore from NATO/American Owned paid state leaders.


One more thing Vitchilo russia has a right afterall are you getting tired of been controlled by a mason run country which are britian and amercia ?

[edit on 29-7-2010 by Agent_USA_Supporter]

reply to post by Agent_USA_Supporter

Russia preparing for liberation of eupore from NATO/American Owned paid state leaders. One more thing Vitchilo russia has a right afterall

Yeah. Ok. I am glad though that those who lead Russian federation are a little more sensible. NATO places missiles - Russia places missiles. That's ok, its political games.
Russia liberating Europe though.... And they have the right....
Wow. Do you know how many people live in Russia? How many in EU? I do not ask if you know what nukes will do to the planet and how liberated asteroid that was part of Earth known as Europe will be different to liberated asteroid that was part of Earth known as Russia, but as far as simple macho head count, Russia has 142 million people, EU about 500 million.
That pretty much summons it up. Maybe Russia according to you should also liberate China?