No long-range bombers in Crimea, earlier statement was an error – Moscow

Defense committees in the Russian parliament have denied earlier reports that strategic bombers and Iskander missile systems had been deployed to Crimea, while confirming the peninsula has been turned into a well-defended bastion.

Earlier statements about the deployment of Tu-22M3 long-range bombers and nuclear-capable Iskander-M ballistic missile systems were an error, the Russian Federation Council’s Defense and Security Committee told the media.

The statement was initially made by committee head Viktor Bondarev and has since made rounds in the media.

State Duma Defense Committee head Vladimir Shamanov similarly denied the reports, saying the multifaceted force stationed in Crimea is fully “capable of repelling any attempted attack.”

The defenses of the peninsula have been massively shored up since the 2014 reunification with Russia, the Federation Council committee confirmed.

“S-300, S-400, Buk-M2 and Pantsir-S1 anti-air complexes have been deployed to Crimea. Anti-missile and anti-air systems are capable of reliably defending from airborne attacks. There is also the shore-based anti-ship Bastion missile complex, outfitted with cutting-edge weaponry,” the committee’s press service told TASS.

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