17 March 2017, 08:22 GMT
MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Russian Foreign Ministry calls destabilizing factors the US buildup in Northeast Asia and the deployment of a US missile defense system in South Korea, ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Thursday.
"A serious destabilizing factor is an increase in the US presence in the region, including the deployment of the THAAD missile defense systems in South Korea," Zakharova said at a briefing.
Seoul and Washington first agreed to deploy THAAD in July 2016 amid South Korea’s growing unease about the nuclear program of North Korea, which fired four ballistic missiles on March 6.
The system is designed to intercept short, medium and intermediate ballistic missiles at the terminal incoming stage.
A THAAD battery consists of six truck-mounted launchers, 48 interceptors, a mobile control and communications center and an AN/TPY-2 radar.
