The Drive:
Russia, for what appears to be the first time, has publicly acknowledged the existence of the ground-launched cruise missile, known variously as the SSC-8 and 9M729, which the United States claims violates the terms of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty or INF. The Kremlin says that it has tested the weapon, but that it is fully compliant with the agreement, and in turn has accused the U.S. government of fabricating the allegation in order to gain greater technical insight into Russian missile developments.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov offered the new information during a presentation regarding Russia’s position in the INF in Moscow on Nov. 26, 2018. In October 2018, President Donald Trump and his administration publicly announced their intention to withdraw from the agreement, citing Russia’s non-compliance as the major reason. So far, the U.S. government has not formally abrogated the deal. The United States and Russia, along with Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine, are all parties to the treaty, which U.S. and Soviet authorities signed in 1987.
The INF bans signatories from deploying ground-based nuclear- or conventionally-armed ballistic or cruise missiles with ranges between 310 and 3,420 miles. These restrictions do not apply to air- or sea-launched weapons.
