US missile defense base in Poland put on high alert

Photo: Polish leadership and US military at the opening of the Aegis Ashore Poland military base/MATEUSZ SLODKOWSKI/AFP

On Thursday, November 21, Russia said that the new US missile defense base in northern Poland had been put on high alert, which would increase the overall level of nuclear danger.

Warsaw responded that the constant "threats" from Moscow's side only strengthened the arguments in favor of increasing NATO's defense capability.

The missile defense base, located in the city of Redzikowo near the Baltic Sea coast, was opened on November 13, Reuters reports.

"This is another openly provocative step in a series of deeply destabilizing actions by the Americans and their allies in the North Atlantic Alliance in the strategic sphere," said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. – This leads to the undermining of strategic stability, an increase in strategic risks and, as a consequence, an increase in the overall level of nuclear danger."

Pawel Wronski, a representative of the Polish Foreign Ministry, emphasized that there are no nuclear missiles at the base, it is intended solely for defense.

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“This is a base that serves defensive purposes, not offensive ones,” Wronski countered in his statement. “The threats (from Moscow) certainly serve as an argument for strengthening the air defense of Poland and NATO, and should be carefully considered by the United States.”The US base in Redzikowo is part of a wider NATO missile defence shield called Aegis Ashore. The systems stationed at the base, according to NATO, can intercept short- and medium-range ballistic missiles.

“Given the nature and level of threats posed by such Western military installations, the missile defence base in Poland has long been added to the list of priority targets for potential destruction, which, if necessary, can be carried out using a wide range of advanced weapons,” Zakharova said.

According to NATO, the NATO missile defence shield includes installations in Poland, Romania, as well as US Navy destroyers at a naval base in Spain and an early warning radar in Turkey.

Earlier on the night of Thursday, November 21, Russia used an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) for the first time to strike Ukraine.

The strike on Ukraine was non-nuclear.

However, the press service of the EU Foreign Ministry stated that if the fact of Russia's use of an intercontinental missile is confirmed, this will mean a step towards escalation of the conflict.

Prepared by: Sergey Daga