Russia will not publish data on offensive weapons

Russia will not publish data on the number of strategic offensive arms (START) under the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START). This was stated by Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.

“No, we won’t. We do not consider it in any way, we have read it. Colleagues in other departments also looked at it. After some time, we will write it off to the archive, but we are now determined by the situation based on completely different approaches and principles. START has been suspended,” Ryabkov added (quote according to RIA Novosti).

May 12 US Department of State made public information about the country’s nuclear arsenal. The department clarifies that they do it voluntarily. According to their information as of March 1, America has 662 deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles and heavy bombers. The number of nuclear warheads is 1419 pieces. In addition, the United States has 800 deployed and non-deployed nuclear weapons.

The US State Department called on Russia to “return to full compliance with the treaty.” For March, Russia did not provide its data, the ministry said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the suspension of Russia’s participation in the START at the end of February during his address to the Federal Assembly. On February 28, the President signed the corresponding law.

Then Peskov noted that Russia was not leaving the arms reduction treaty, but it was only about suspension. According to him, Russia’s goal is to make sure that nuclear parity is observed, taking into account the arsenals of France and Great Britain, which are not included in the perimeter of the agreement.

In addition, the Ministry of Defense and the Russian Foreign Ministry stated that despite the suspension of participation in START III, Russia will continue to comply with restrictions on the number of carriers of nuclear warheads. Major General Yevgeny Ilyin, Deputy Head of the Main Directorate for International Military Cooperation of the Russian Defense Ministry, said that the Russian Federation would not stop the process of exchanging notifications under the agreement.