Russia's defence ministry on Thursday denied reports that it was considering basing nuclear-armed bombers in Cuba to warn against US plans to base a missile defense shield in Europe, Russian news agencies reported. "We regard these kinds of anonymous allegations as disinformation," defence ministry spokesman Ilshat Baichurin was quoted by RIA-Novosti as saying. The report in state newspaper Izvestia on Monday cited an unidentified high-ranking air force official as saying such bombers were sent to Cuba to counter US shield plans. The United States had refused to comment on the anonymous report but welcomed Moscow's denial of the intentions to resume bomber flights to Cuba. "That's a very good thing," said Gonzalo Gallegos, the State Department's acting deputy spokesman. The United States has failed to convince Russia that plans to site parts of a missile shield in Poland and the Czech Republic are intended only to guard against rogue states such as Iran. Russia views the shield as a threat to its Cold War nuclear deterrent. The United States maintains the system is far too small to threaten Russia's strategic nuclear-missile fleet. Baichurin, however, suggested the allegations could have been planted by foreign countries as a cover for building up military elements along Russia's boarder in an apparent reference to US plans. Moscow, in contrast, he said, has no intentions to threaten other states. "Russia pursues peace-loving policies and does not build military bases along the borders of other states," RIA Novosti quoted Baichurin as saying.
