Kremlin Warns Norway After US Missile System Deployed at Vaernes During Arctic Exercise

The U.S. Navy flew a Containerized Launching System capable of firing Tomahawk cruise missiles into Værnes, Trøndelag, during the multinational exercise "Operation Atlantic City," which also landed U.S., British, and Norwegian forces on Jan Mayen 12. The system remained in Norway roughly one week, packed for transport except for a two-hour activation during the exercise, before being flown out, according to Norwegian defense spokesman Jonny Karlsen 13. Russia's Foreign Ministry said the deployment reset to zero prospects for U.S.-Russia strategic dialogue and stated it would target the system's deployment sites and command centers in any conflict, per Reuters 24. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian state agency RIA that the buildup constitutes a threat to Russian security warranting further Russian security measures, while Russian ambassador Nikolay Korchunov told Izvestia that Oslo is taking "serious risks" 3. Norwegian officials called the deployment a routine, allied-requested exercise element and did not address the missile's range capability directly 13.