Russia warns US missile plan in Germany may lead to direct Cold War confrontation

Russia condemned the plan, with the Deputy Foreign Minister promising a military response to the missile deployment.

Russia warned Thursday that a US plan to station long-range missiles in Germany could lead to a Cold War-style “direct confrontation.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made the remarks to Russian state broadcaster Rossiya 1 after the US announced Wednesday during a NATO summit in Washington, D.C. that it plans to begin periodically deploying Tomahawk cruise, SM-6 and hypersonic missiles to Germany starting in 2026, saying they will act as a deterrent.

"We are taking steady steps towards the Cold War. All the attributes of the Cold War with the direct confrontation are returning,” said Peskov.

Peskov said the US decision is an attempt to suppress Russia.

Earlier in the day, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said Russia had anticipated such a move and will develop a military response.

The latest development came after five children were wounded Thursday in the town of Shebekino in western Russia’s Belgorod Oblast when a Ukrainian drone dropped an explosive device in the courtyard of a multi-story apartment building where there was a playground, according to Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemned the incident as a “deliberate terrorist attack.”

Ukraine said Thursday that a Russian attack caused heavy damage in the southern port city of Kherson, wounding a municipal emergency services rescue specialist and an employee of the Kherson region military administration. Numerous homes and infrastructure were damaged according to reports.