U.S.: Russian missiles not retargeted at NATO

ALSO U.S. casts doubt on Cuban base as refugee site Yeltsin says Milosevic seeking entry in Russian-Belarus union Serbs reportedly planting land mines to create Kosovo 'no man's land' Britain says Milosevic 'feeling the heat'  MESSAGE BOARD Crisis in Kosovo

April 9, 1999
Web posted at: 10:58 a.m. EDT (1058 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- There is no evidence that Russia has retargeted its nuclear arsenal as part of its anger at NATO for airstrikes on Yugoslavia, sources in Washington and Moscow told CNN on Friday. The Russian government also officially denied the report.

The speaker of the Russian Duma (parliament), Gennady Seleznyov, raised concern when he said President Boris Yeltsin had ordered that Russian strategic missiles be aimed at NATO nations.

Russian Foreign Minister Ivan Ivanov said he was not aware of any such presidential directive.

"As far as the Foreign Ministry is aware, no orders regarding missiles have been issued," he told a Moscow news conference. "Russia will stand by all international commitments, including those regarding arms."

In Washington, a spokesman for the National Security Council said the U.S. Embassy in Moscow had relayed word that Russia's strategic missile forces had not received orders to change missile targeting.

"We hope and expect President Yeltsin will abide by his prior statements that Russia will not get militarily involved in this situation," said NSC spokesman Mike Hammer.

In Moscow, a spokesman for the Russian Strategic Nuclear Services Command also told CNN that such reports were false.

Yeltsin has said repeatedly that Russia will not be drawn into the Yugoslav conflict militarily.

Yeltsin, right, insists that his nation's military will not be drawn into the Yugoslav conflict

In remarks on Friday, he made no mention of missiles but warned NATO not to send ground troops into Yugoslavia and "make it their protectorate," saying such a development could prompt a stronger response from Russia.

The 19-nation alliance demands that Milosevic accept terms of a U.S.-brokered peace accord, withdraw his military police and paramilitary forces and allow hundreds of thousands of ethnic Albanians to return to their homes in Kosovo province, accompanied by a NATO-led security force.

A draft of Clinton's statement, according to sources, says the United States and the allies will not be swayed by "half measures" or steps by Belgrade the allies say are designed to create "the illusion" of compliance.

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