Russia's 9M729 Missile Could Not Be Tested For Range Forbidden By INF Treaty - Ryabkov

Russia's 9M729 missile could not be tested for a range forbidden by the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) since it has not been developed for that purpose, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Wednesday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd January, 2019) Russia's 9M729 missile could not be tested for a range forbidden by the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) since it has not been developed for that purpose, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Wednesday.

"Today, our colleagues from the Russian Defense Ministry will prove that the 9M729 missile could not be tested for a range between 500 and 5,500 kilometers [310 and 3,400 miles] prohibited under the treaty, since it has not been developed for this purpose," Ryabkov said at a briefing.

The United States has repeatedly voiced concern over the 9M729 missile, claiming that it violated the provisions of the INF treaty. Moscow has refuted US accusations as unsubstantiated, insisting that the missile was tested at the range permitted by the agreement.