The Russian general staff has warned of the ramifications of the US stationing of anti-ballistic missile (ABM) systems in Europe and on warships patrolling Russia’s borders, saying the deployments create the potential for America to launch a nuclear attack on Russia.

Axar.az reports that “The presence of American ABM sites in Europe and ABM-capable ships in the seas and oceans close to Russia’s territory creates a powerful clandestine potential for delivering a surprise nuclear missile strike against Russia,” Viktor Poznikhir, the deputy head of operations of the Russian general staff, said at a disarmament conference in Geneva.

The top Russian commander warned that the US’ global missile system provokes a new arms race, noting that the system, which is deployed at sites in Alaska, Romania, and Poland, compromises Russia’s nuclear deterrence capabilities.

The US has also deployed its THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) missile system in South Korea, in an alleged bid to shoot down North Korea’s short, medium and intermediate-range ballistic missiles.

Based on Moscow’s estimations, the US will have as many as 1,000 interceptor missiles at its disposal by 2020, posing a real threat to Russia’s missile capacity.