Military analyst Viktor Litovkin has responded to Moscow’s decision to withdraw from its self-imposed moratorium on ground-based intermediate- and short-range missiles, stating that Russia’s patience has run out.

He explained that the United States has been actively deploying such missile systems in Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, Japan, and South Korea. More recently, Germany agreed to host similar U.S. systems on its territory.

Litovkin said Russia now plans to station its «Oreshnik» missile systems in both Russia and Belarus. He noted that the missile’s range is approximately 5,500 kilometers, meaning that if deployed in western Russia or Belarus, it could potentially reach as far as the Canadian coastline.

In his comments to Argumenty i Fakty, the analyst emphasized that the deployment of Oreshnik missiles in Belarus is not a hypothetical scenario. He claimed that launch sites and storage hangars are already in place and that the move will likely be completed by the end of the year.

As for other allied countries, Litovkin expressed skepticism. He noted that while North Korea already possesses its own medium-range missile arsenal, Russia currently lacks additional partners willing or able to host such systems.