Putin warns of Cold War-style missile crisis

Russia may deploy new strike weapons in response to the US' planned stationing of longer-range and hypersonic missiles in Germany, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday.

Speaking at a naval parade in St. Petersburg, Putin vowed "mirror measures" after the United States announced earlier this month that it will start deploying the weapons, including SM-6 missiles, Tomahawk cruise missiles and "developmental hypersonic weapons", in 2026, to affirm its commitment to NATO and European defense after Moscow started its special military operation in Ukraine in 2022.

In a speech, Putin warned the US that it risked triggering a Cold War-style missile crisis.

"The flight time to targets on our territory of such missiles, which in the future may be equipped with nuclear warheads, will be about 10 minutes," he said.

"If the US implements such plans, we will consider ourselves free from the previously imposed unilateral moratorium on the deployment of intermediate and shorter-range strike weapons, including increasing the capability of the coastal forces of our navy," he said, adding that Moscow's development of suitable systems is "in its final stage".

Diplomats from both Russia and the US say bilateral relations are even worse than that during the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, and both sides have urged de-escalation.

Putin accused the US of stoking tensions and transferring Typhon missile systems to Denmark and the Philippines, and compared the US plans to NATO's 1979 decision to deploy Pershing II launchers in Western Europe.

"This situation is reminiscent of the events of the Cold War related to the deployment of US medium-range Pershing missiles in Europe," Putin said.

He inspected the naval parade involving nearly 20 surface ships and gunboats, four sailing vessels and a submarine on the Neva River in St. Petersburg to celebrate Russia's Navy Day.

Greeting Chinese vessel

A Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy warship, Jiaozuo, also participated in the celebrations.

The Type 052D guided missile destroyer arrived in the city and sailed along the Neva River in a welcome ceremony hosted by a Russian military band, amid greetings from Russian representatives and local people at the dock. Since arrival on July 22, the warship has been open to the Russian public to visit.

This is not the first time the PLA Navy has sent a warship to participate in Russia's Navy Day celebrations in St. Petersburg. In 2019, its Type 052C guided missile destroyer Xi'an was a part of that year's event, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Compared with five years ago, this year China has sent a more advanced type of warship to Russia, reflecting the development of the PLA Navy as well as China-Russia military ties, observers said.

China and Russia just wrapped up a joint naval patrol that stretched from northern Pacific waters to the South China Sea and a joint naval exercise in waters off China's southern coast, which also featured China's Type 052D destroyers.