MOSCOW (Portal) Russia’s Defense Ministry announced on Thursday that three MiG31E fighter jets armed with Kinzhal hypersonic missiles have been deployed to the Kaliningrad region, Interfax reported.
The Russian state news agency RIA quoted the ministry as saying that the MiG jets would be in use around the clock.
Kaliningrad a Russian exclave on the Baltic Sea coast sandwiched between NATO and EU members Poland and Lithuania has become a hotspot after Lithuania acted to limit the transit of goods to the region through its territory, with Russia promising retaliatory measures.
Tensions in the region have escalated further since Russia sent tens of thousands of troops to Ukraine six months ago in what it calls a “military special operation”.
Earlier Thursday, the Finnish Defense Ministry said two Russian MiG31 jets were suspected of violating their airspace near the Gulf of Finland town of Porvoo, 150 km from Russia.
US State Department spokesman Ned Price called Russia’s announcements of repositioning defense and deterrence equipment nonsense.
“Russia faces no threat from NATO. Russia faces no threat from Finland. Russia faces no threat from any other country,” Price told reporters.
(Portal report)