"Russia will continue to strengthen its defensive potential, to improve the deterrent potential of nuclear weapons… We possess weapons that can deter our so-called partners from any critical decisions that could come to their minds," Evgeny Serebrennikov told RIA Novosti.
He added that NATO's activities aim at deterrence against Russia both in economic and military spheres.
Since 2014, NATO has been steadily building up its military presence in Europe, particularly in Eastern European countries bordering Russia, using Moscow's alleged interference in Ukraine as a pretext for the move.
In September, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that any NATO advancement toward Russian borders would prompt Moscow to take counter-measures to ensure the country's national security.
