They really are trying to start a war with Russia
8 Mar, 2024 01:35
NATO bringing Patriot missiles closer to Russia – bloc’s member state MoD
The US-made air defense systems will be deployed to Lithuania in 2024, its defense chief said
The NATO alliance will station US-made Patriot anti-air missile systems in Lithuania, the Baltic country’s defense minister, Arvydas Anusauskas, announced. Lithuania shares a border with Russia’s exclave region of Kaliningrad, as well as with Russia’s ally Belarus.
“This year, the rotational air defense system will finally become operational, at least partially,” Anusauskas said during a press conference in Vilnius on Thursday, as quoted by the state broadcaster LRT.
“Our goal is to have a rotation similar to the air policing mission,” the minister added, referring to the regular patrol flights by NATO aircraft in the airspace of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
“This principle would not be a one-off thing for several months but would cover all of our calendar months and significantly increase our air defense capabilities,” Anusauskas said.
Last year, the US and its allies in Europe delivered several Patriot batteries to Ukraine as part of the efforts to back Kiev during its conflict with Moscow.
The Washington-led bloc has deployed additional forces to Eastern Europe and the Baltic states in recent years, citing Russia’s ongoing military operation in Ukraine. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned last month that the Western alliance “must prepare for a confrontation that could last for decades.”
Russia, for its part, cited NATO’s continuing expansion eastward and the bloc’s cooperation with Kiev as one of the root causes of the current conflict. Russian officials repeatedly stressed that Moscow views NATO military units near its border as a national security threat.
In January, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned that the stationing of additional foreign forces in Lithuania “only leads to the escalation of military tensions.”
https://www.rt.com/russia/593952-lithuania-deployment-patriot-missiles/
7 Mar, 2024 22:35
US embassy warns of ‘imminent’ attack in Moscow
The diplomats urged American citizens to avoid large gatherings over the next 48 hours
The US Embassy in Moscow has warned that “extremists” are plotting to carry out attacks in the Russian capital within the next few days.
“The embassy is monitoring reports that extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow, to include concerts, and US citizens should be advised to avoid large gatherings over the next 48 hours,” the diplomatic mission said in a statement on its website in the early hours of Friday local time.
It urged Americans to stay vigilant and “monitor local media for updates.” The embassy did not provide any additional details about the alert.
The Russian authorities have not commented on the notice yet.
The alert was issued amid the ongoing tensions between Moscow and Washington. On Thursday, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned American ambassador Lynne Tracy, demanding that the embassy cut all ties with three US-funded NGOs whose work was recently banned in Russia.
The Foreign Ministry further threatened to expel “any US Embassy employees” who will attempt “to interfere in the domestic affairs of the Russian Federation, including subversive campaigns and misinformation” in the context of the conflict in Ukraine and the upcoming presidential election in Russia.
https://www.rt.com/russia/593951-us-embassy-attack-moscow-alert/