Moscow-Sana
The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that the Kaliningrad region is "well protected" against any aggressive plans by the United States, while the State Department described the US statements as "stupid and irresponsible."
"The Kaliningrad region is completely protected from any aggressive US plans," Sputnik quoted the ministry as saying in a statement on a US general's remarks on the possibility of undermining Russia's air defense system in the western Russian province of Kaliningrad.
"All NATO pilots approaching the Russian air border in the Baltic Sea know very well the capabilities of the Kaliningrad air defense system to detect and pursue any air targets and, if necessary, neutralize them," the statement said.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said: "We consider these statements to be a threat and completely irresponsible.
"This is a sign of stupidity," said Zakharova. "Smart, far-sighted people who truly express the interests of the people they have appointed or elected do not make such statements, realizing that they are doing harm to their country's reputation."
For his part, declared the first deputy chairman of the Defense Committee of the State Duma of Russia, Alexander Shirin that the US statements an attempt to divert attention from the failure of the Patriot regimes to protect Saudi Arabia.
"Nobody can penetrate anything in Russia. The US military needs more actions than talk," he said.
The commander of the US Air Force in Europe said earlier that the Pentagon "has a plan to penetrate the air defense in the Kaliningrad region," Russia.