At the gates of NATO, Russia announces the deployment of Kinzhal hypersonic missiles in Kaliningrad

The Russian Defense Ministry said that it has deployed MiG-31 aircraft equipped with Kinzhal hypersonic missiles in the Kaliningrad region, and this move comes in light of the tension with the West over Russia's war on Russia. Ukraine since February 24 last.

The ministry added, in a statement, Thursday, that 3 of these fighters carrying Kinzhal missiles arrived at the Chkalovsk Air Base in Kaliningrad, as part of what it described as additional measures of strategic deterrence.

She added that the planes will be on alert around the clock.

The Russian Defense Ministry published a video clip of the arrival of MiG-31 fighters to the air base, and the Associated Press said that the clip showed that the planes were not carrying missiles, suggesting that the missiles were transported separately to the Russian province on the coast. Baltic Sea.

Russian media sources have previously reported that the Kinzhal missiles travel at a speed of about 5,000 kilometers per hour, which is equivalent to more than 4 times the speed of sound, and can reach an estimated speed of 12 times the speed of sound 14,800 kilometers per hour with a range of up to 3,000 kilometers. .

The US agency indicated that the deployment of Kinzhal missiles in Kaliningrad comes and the war on Ukraine is entering its sixth month, and it is likely that Russia aims with this step to demonstrate its military ability to threaten the interests of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), as the Kaliningrad canton is adjacent to both Lithuania and Poland. Both are members of the alliance.

And yesterday, Thursday, the Finnish Ministry of Defense published that it suspected that two Russian MiG-31 planes had violated the airspace of Finland south of the city of Porfor, west of the capital Helsinki.

And last June, Russia deployed in Kaliningrad Iskander missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

Administratively, the Kaliningrad Province belongs to Moscow, although it is located 300 km west of Russia, without a land border.

And in late June, Lithuania stopped the transit of goods towards the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, and then Moscow threatened to respond to this measure.