Russia must destroy missile: Nato

Nato yesterday urged Russia to destroy its 9M729/SSC-8 nuclear-capable cruise missile system before an August deadline and save a treaty that keeps land-based nuclear warheads out of Europe or face a more determined alliance response in the region. Nato defence ministers will discuss today their next steps if Moscow keeps the missile system that the US says would allow short-notice nuclear attacks on Europe and break the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF).