00:50USA: Russian MoD accuses US of preparing to produce INF-violating missiles at this plant
The Russian Defence Ministry on Saturday accused the US of preparing to produce intermediate and shorter-range missiles, banned under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), for most of the past two years.
Footage filmed in the US city of Tucson, Arizona state, on Sunday shows a missile plant owned by US defence corporation Raytheon that is at the centre of Russia's accusations.
The Russian MoD said in a statement that since June 2017, Washington has been preparing for production of the banned munitions at the factory, which it says is being expanded and modernised.
Raytheon describes itself as the world's largest missile maker, producing a range of missile weaponry and technologies.
According to the MOD, during those almost two years, the factory's facilities were expanded by 44 percent, while its personnel was expected to grow by 2,000.
At the same time, the MOD added, in November 2017, Congress allocated $58 million to the Pentagon explicitly for a "research and development programme on a ground-launched intermediate-range missile."
On Friday, US President Donald Trump said that Washington was suspending its obligations under the INF and will pull out from the agreement in six months if Russia does not comply with it.
Russia has repeatedly called accusations of non-compliance groundless.
On Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia was suspending its participation in the treaty as "a symmetrical response" to Washington's latest move.
00:50The Russian Defence Ministry on Saturday accused the US of preparing to produce intermediate and shorter-range missiles, banned under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), for most of the past two years.
Footage filmed in the US city of Tucson, Arizona state, on Sunday shows a missile plant owned by US defence corporation Raytheon that is at the centre of Russia's accusations.
The Russian MoD said in a statement that since June 2017, Washington has been preparing for production of the banned munitions at the factory, which it says is being expanded and modernised.
Raytheon describes itself as the world's largest missile maker, producing a range of missile weaponry and technologies.
According to the MOD, during those almost two years, the factory's facilities were expanded by 44 percent, while its personnel was expected to grow by 2,000.
At the same time, the MOD added, in November 2017, Congress allocated $58 million to the Pentagon explicitly for a "research and development programme on a ground-launched intermediate-range missile."
On Friday, US President Donald Trump said that Washington was suspending its obligations under the INF and will pull out from the agreement in six months if Russia does not comply with it.
Russia has repeatedly called accusations of non-compliance groundless.
On Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia was suspending its participation in the treaty as "a symmetrical response" to Washington's latest move.