Russia threatens to shoot down missiles test-fired by Ukraine

DEBKAfile was founded by a team of journalists in June 2000 as an independent Internet Web site, providing an intelligence and security news service. November 30, 2016, 8:21 PM (IDT)

Russia’s air defense network on the Ukrainian border was placed on its highest level of alert on Wednesday evening following Ukraine’s announcement that it will conduct missile tests on Thursday and Friday near Crimea, an area that Russia annexed in 2014. Kiev claimed that the missiles are to be launched towards the Black Sea, west of Crimea. Russia’s TASS news agency quoted official Russian sources as saying the tests are an unnecessary provocation, and that the Russian military views them as a serious threat and will respond with the 55,000 troops based in Crimea and with ships equipped with means to shoot down the missiles. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova called the tests a “provocation designed to prompt a tough response”.   

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