Russia announced on Monday that it no longer considers itself bound by a self-imposed ban on deploying medium- and short-range ground-based missiles. The Foreign Ministry cited growing Western missile threats near its borders and the collapse of conditions tied to the now-defunct Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.

The US withdrew from the treaty in 2019, accusing Russia of violations. In response, Moscow suspended its participation but maintained a moratorium—now lifted due to what it calls rising regional security risks, according to Xinhua.