Russian missiles will quickly reach London and Madrid — Rutte

Modern Russian missiles are capable of hitting not only the countries of NATO's eastern flank, but can also reach its westernmost limits, including cities such as London and Madrid.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned about this, speaking at a joint press conference with the commander-in-chief of the alliance's forces in Europe, Alex Grinkevich.

"I don't like this whole concept of thinking in terms of the 'eastern flank' because it gives the impression that the people of Madrid or London are safer than those who live in Tallinn. And this is not so," the Secretary General stated.

He explained that the latest Russian missiles, after their launch, are capable of reaching Madrid or London only 5-10 minutes later than Tallinn or Vilnius.

In this regard, Rutte called on all members of the alliance to feel themselves on the "eastern flank." He stated the need for a unified approach to collective defense and the modernization of missile defense systems to counter new threats.

Earlier, EADaily reported that the North Atlantic Alliance is launching Operation Eastern Sentry ("Eastern Guardian"), the purpose of which is to strengthen the defense of the eastern flank of the military bloc.