Russia increased the intensity of its threats against the US and its allies after the US missile defense system at the Deveselu military base in southern Romania officially became operational on Thursday. Romania's decision to host the installation has turned it into a primary target in case of a conflict, according to Russian commentator.

As the American, NATO and Romanian officials were cutting the ribbon of the newly installed system, the reaction in Russia suggested the system had raised the risks of a nuclear war, New York Times writes.

Russian officials reiterated their concerns that the facility inaugurated in Romania was a threat to Russia’s security even if the officials who were at the inauguration, which included NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, US Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work, and Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos, repeatedly said that the system was strictly defensive and not aimed at Russia.

“The public discussion in Russia was darker, including online commentary of how a nuclear confrontation might play out in Europe, and the prospect that Romania, the system’s host, might be reduced to <<smoking ruins>>,” the New York Times reported.

A Russian commentator, Konstantin Bogdanov, wrote on a local news portal (Lenta.ru), that the antimissile sites in Eastern Europe might lead to nuclear war in a crisis.

“They would inevitably become priority targets in the event of nuclear war, possibly even targets for preventive strikes. Countries like Romania that host American antimissile systems might be the only casualties, he wrote, whereas the United States would then reconcile with Russia over the smoking ruins of the East European elements of the missile defense system,” Bogdanov wrote, according to New York Times.

Last year, Russia "accidentally" showed the plans of a secret weapon: an underwater drone that can unleash a radioactive tsunami and destroy the coast cities in a targeted area.

Ever since the United States and Romania signed the agreement to deploy the missile defense system in Romania, in 2011, Russia has been threatening with retaliations. The US and NATO officials have been trying to convince Moscow that the system would protect the US and its European allies from rogue states such as Iran, which have developed ballistic capabilities.

“As long as Iran continues to develop and deploy ballistic missiles, the United States will work with our allies and partners to defend NATO and its allies against this threat,” US Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work said at the system’s inauguration ceremony.

The Russian officials, however, continue to see the system as a direct threat to Russia, now more than ever after the USD 800 million investment has been finalized. They have also said that by installing this system, the US has breached the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which required the United States and the Soviet Union to eliminate and permanently forswear all of their nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of 500 to 5,500 kilometers.

“We have to announce this openly, without any additional diplomatic formulations. We are talking about violation of this treaty,” said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, quoted by New York Times.

Despite Russia’s protests, the US and NATO also broke ground on another missile defense system in Poland. “This site, nor the site in Poland, has any capability -- none whatsoever -- to undermine Russia’s strategic deterrent,” Work said. “It is a defensive system. It is fully compliant with existing arms control regimes.”

US antimissile shield in Romania becomes operational

editor@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: US Embassy Bucharest on Facebook)