#1 - RW 262
Russia intends to keep all components of its nuclear triad - Baluyevsky

MOSCOW. June 19 (Interfax) - Russia's General Staff said the nation will maintain all components of its nuclear triad (ground, naval and air) after 2012, the deadline for fulfilling the Russian-U.S. Treaty on Strategic Offensive Reductions.

"Russia will definitely keep its nuclear triad by the date set for the fulfillment of the Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty, and in the following years," Colonel Yury Baluyevsky, first deputy chief of the Russian General Staff, told Interfax.

"The strategic component of Russia's defense potential has been set for the period until 2016-2020," he said. "Corresponding documents outline the development of the three components: ground, naval, and air. Of course, this does not mean that the decision cannot be changed. Everything will depend on the situation in the world. However, in any case, we are not inclined to change the current balance of these three components of our strategic nuclear forces," he said.

Baluyevsky said he does not doubt that Russia will fulfil the treaty by the expected date. "We will definitely fulfil this document," he said.

CDI Russia Weekly #262 ~ Contents  •  Next