MOSCOW (Reuters) -Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov referred journalists to the Russian defence ministry on Friday when asked about a Reuters report that Russia had fired 9M729 missiles at Ukraine.
Kremlin Directs Missile Strike Inquiries to Defence Ministry
Overview of Russian Missile Strikes
MOSCOW (Reuters) -Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov referred journalists to the Russian defence ministry on Friday when asked about a Reuters report that Russia had fired 9M729 missiles at Ukraine.
Details on 9M729 Missile Usage
Senior Ukrainian source said that Russia has fired the missile, whose secret development prompted the U.S. to abandon a nuclear arms control treaty with Moscow, at Ukraine 23 times since August this year.
Historical Context of the INF Treaty
"This question should be addressed to the military - what specific missiles, delivery systems, and weapons are being used. This should be asked of the Ministry of Defence," Peskov told reporters.
U.S. Response to Missile Development
The 9M729 led the United States to quit the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in 2019. Washington said the missile was in breach of the treaty and could fly far beyond its limit of 500 km (310 miles), although Russia denied this.
Claims and Counterclaims
"If you remember this story, in fact, the American side did make claims at that time, but the Russian side refuted all these claims very convincingly and, on the contrary, explained that the claims were unfounded," Peskov said.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said in 2018 that the 9M729 missile had not been developed or tested for a range equal to or exceeding the 500 km limit established by the INF treaty for this class of missiles.
(Reporting by Dmitry Antonov, Editing by William Maclean)
