MOSCOW. Feb 13 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia could deploy missiles to the Kuril Islands if the United States begins deploying new missiles to the Asia-Pacific Region following its withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, former chief of staff of the Russian Strategic Missile Forces Col. Gen. Viktor Yesin (retired) told Interfax on Wednesday.
"The Kurils are quite fitting for enhancing the cruise missile grouping," he said.
"It's quite likely that the U.S. will begin deploying missiles to the Asia-Pacific Region first following its withdrawal from the INF Treaty. This does not mean that it will not deploy missiles to other regions. Russia's response will be commensurate to what the U.S. deploys. But we will not be the first to deploy missiles," Yesin said.