BRUSSELS. Feb 6 (Interfax) - Iskander missile systems in the Kaliningrad region are nothing new for NATO but such steps are not lowering tensions, a NATO official told Interfax in Brussels on Monday.
"We have seen press reports that Russia is deploying Iskander missiles to Kaliningrad. This is not new. We know this deployment is part of Russia's long-standing modernization plan. Russia announced the development of the Iskander missile system in the 1990s. Any deployment close to our borders of missiles that can carry nuclear warheads does not help to lower tensions," the source said.
"In the spirit of transparency, we look forward to hearing more from Russia on this. It is important to determine the exact situation. NATO is alert, we understand the capability but we also understand that the Russians have been moving equipment in and out of Kaliningrad for a long time," the NATO source said.
The official also referred to the statement made by NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller in Lithuania on Monday: "The question regarding Russian movement of Iskanders into Kaliningrad, of course the President [Grybauskaite] mentioned that this morning. It's very, very important to consider it very, very carefully. It's a very serious matter. I think it's also important to note, as was already commented a few moments ago, that the Russians have been moving a lot of equipment in and out of Kaliningrad for years now, so it's important to bear, particularly, in mind what this particular movement of Iskanders to Kaliningrad represents. Is it, again, a temporary type of deployment, or is it something else? That I simply cannot say."