Russia Threatens Response to Norway's Military Buildup, US Missile Systems

The Kremlin threatened to take unspecified 'additional measures' in response to Norway's expanding military presence along its northern border with Russia, following the US deployment of a missile system. Russia's ambassador to Oslo Nikolay Korchunov said Norway has stationed an artillery battalion of four South-Korean made K9 self-propelled howitzers, with a range of up to 40 kilometers (about 25 miles), TASS reported on Monday, Sept. 7. JOIN US ON TELEGRAM Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. According to Reuters, Russia's Foreign Ministry also claimed that a US missile system delivered to Norway in August undermined future prospects for strategic arms discussions with Washington. 'Such military buildup, which is aimed at our country, Russia, cannot but be perceived as a threat to Russia's security,' Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said according to a separate report from TASS on Monday. Advertisement 'This is a reason to take additional measures to ensure our security. Our Defense Ministry, as well as other relevant services, are dealing with this,' he continued. Norway's defense buildup on the border with Russia According to Korchunov, Norway plans to deliver 24 additional K9 howitzer systems to its Finnmark Brigade by the end of 2028. By 2030, the Norwegian armed forces are expected to receive 16 South Korean-made K239 Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers, along with missiles that have a range of up to 500 kilometers (roughly 311 miles). As per the same report, Norway allegedly also plans to establish a separate artillery battalion in the northern county of Troms. Other Topics of Interest Zelensky Says Planning 'Next Steps' After US Talks Kyiv told Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner what air defense, technology and winter support Ukraine needs before Russia's next campaign. Norway – which shares an Arctic border with Russia – said the war in Ukraine has proven long-range strike systems to be essential on the modern battlefield, Reuters reported. While European officials stated there is no intelligence indicating Russia is preparing for a conventional military attack on NATO or the Baltic states, many member states have deliberately chosen to increase their defenses in case Russia's aggression spreads beyond Ukraine's borders – particularly as hybrid attacks from Russia escalate. Advertisement Starting Sept. 1, Russia expanded its military training for children, including in occupied Ukrainian territories, and raised the share of mandatory instruction to 50% of school time. On June 22, the First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Viktor Vodolatsky, called for mandatory military training to begin in fifth grade, arguing that Russia must prepare its youth for a possible war with NATO and the EU by 2030. 'Let them prepare, but the outcome is inevitable,' he said, citing 2030 as a 'relevant milestone' for Russia to attack NATO. US missile system and arms control fallout Washington delivered a missile system to Norway in August. The system reportedly uses Mk-41-style launchers capable of firing Tomahawk cruise missiles. Russia's Foreign Ministry claimed the launchers could reach a substantial part of Russia, including Moscow, and said it would monitor deployment sites and related command centers, describing them as potential targets 'in the event of a military conflict.' 'Steps such as the deployment in Europe of US ground-based intermediate-range missiles that pose a threat to the Russian Federation 'reset to zero,' to put it mildly, the conditions for constructive dialogue with the US on strategic issues,' the ministry said according to Reuters. Advertisement The ministry additionally dismissed any prospect of multilateral arms control talks involving China – a new framework the US President Donald Trump had reportedly proposed to the countries – as 'unrealistic.'