Russia, Missiles and the Tactics of Intimidation

Russian President Vladimir Putin denied the presence of Iskander-M missile systems in Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave on the Baltic coast, during a press conference Dec. 19. This statement appears to contradict a statement made by the Russian Defense Ministry days earlier that the missiles had been deployed to Russia's Western Military District, which comprises Kaliningrad and far western Russia. Reports that the advanced missiles had been deployed to Kaliningrad caused alarm in Poland and Lithuania, the exclave's immediate neighbors. The positioning of Iskander missiles across the broad frontage of Russia's western periphery has been an ongoing trend since 2011, although Moscow has been threatening to place the weapons in Kaliningrad since 2008.

Putin went on to say that putting Iskander missiles in Kaliningrad is a "logical response" to the planned U.S. ballistic missile defense program in Europe. Washington's refusal to capitulate has generated concern in the Kremlin that the United States is intruding on Russia's sphere of influence during a period when Moscow is attempting to reassert itself. The timing of Putin's announcement — whether true or not — is significant because it follows Ukraine's decision to strengthen ties with Russia as opposed to Brussels, seen by many as a victory for Moscow.