Moscow. December 23. INTERFAX-the Number of long-range cruise missiles in the Russian Armed forces has increased 37 times over the past eight years, according to data from the Russian defense Ministry, published in the departmental newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda on Wednesday.
Long-range cruise missiles are called Iskander-M ground-based missiles, sea-based Kalibry missiles and X-101 aircraft missiles, all of which are mentioned in the section "Strategic non-nuclear forces".
According to the Ministry of defense of the Russian Federation, from 2012 to 2020, the number of carriers of long - range cruise missiles increased 13 times-these are the Iskander-M operational and tactical complexes, Navy ships and long-range aircraft. In the publication, these carriers are also classified as strategic non-nuclear forces.
The Iskander-M complex is in service with missile brigades of the Russian Ground forces. Previously, the flight range of Iskander-M missiles was officially called-up to 500 km. The missiles of the complex can carry a nuclear warhead.
The United States officially ended its participation in the intermediate-range nuclear forces Treaty (INF) on August 2, 2019. Before that, the United States accused Russia of violating the Treaty. Washington had claims to the range of the Russian 9m729 cruise missile of the Iskander-M complex. Moscow has repeatedly stressed that the range of Iskander-M missiles did not violate the INF TREATY.
On February 5, 2019, Russian defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that in response to the US decision to suspend participation in the INF TREATY, Russia in 2019-2020 will develop a ground-based version of the Kalibr complex with a long-range cruise missile, as well as a ground-based complex with a long-range hypersonic missile.
