The Russian Federation will perceive F-16s in Ukraine as carriers of nuclear weapons, the Russian Foreign Ministry said, adding that Russia reserves the right to react in a mirror way to the deployment of American-made missiles.
The Russian Foreign Ministry's statements on the escalation in Ukraine:
The Russian Tactical nuclear weapons exercises should be viewed in the context of recent belligerent statements by Western officials and destabilizing actions by NATO.
We hope that exercises to test the use of non-strategic nuclear weapons will cool down the “hot heads” in Western capitals.
In response to the actions of the United States, the Russian Federation is intensifying its development and starting production of medium and shorter-range missile systems.
The United States is “at full speed” producing and testing medium and short-range missile systems in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
The actions of NATO member countries indicate that they are deliberately heading towards an open military clash with Russia.
The reckless steps of Ukraine and Western countries are bringing the situation ever closer to the accumulation of an explosive “critical mass.”
