US plans to carry out test launches of two missiles previously banned by INF Treaty, claims Russia Military

The United States plans to carry out test launches of two new medium-range missiles that were previously banned by the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty before the end of this year, Russian Strategic Missile Forces commander Col. Gen. Sergei Karakaev said on Sunday.

"Before the end of 2019, the United States plans to test two new intermediate-range land-based missiles: a cruise missile with a range of more than 1,000 kilometres (621 miles) and another one with a range of over 3,000 kilometres (1,864 miles). In addition, strike drones can be classified as short and intermediate-range strike weapons. Moreover, no one today can provide guarantees that these complexes would not be equipped with nuclear weapons", Karakaev said.

Om Thursday, the United States successfully tested an INF-banned ground-based intermediate-range missile in California. According to the Defence Department, the missile flew for more than 498 kilometres (more than 310 miles) before it was terminated over the ocean.

The INF Treaty, signed by the United States and the Soviet Union in 1987, was terminated on August 2, 2019, at the US' initiative, after it formally suspended its INF obligations six months earlier.

Both Russia and the United States have accused each other of violating the 1987 agreement, which banned any ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of 500 to 5,500 kilometres (310 to 3,417 miles, respectively).