Russia has expressed its concerns about the expanding presence of NATO infrastructure in Europe, emphasizing that the military alliance is gradually encroaching on its borders amid escalating tensions related to the conflict in Ukraine. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov highlighted on Thursday that Russia observed NATO leaders' decisions at the recent summit in Washington, DC, which included plans to establish logistics hubs in Black Sea cities and open additional facilities in Europe. "This poses a significant threat to our national security, necessitating strategic and coordinated responses to deter and counteract NATO," Peskov stated. The announcement followed the revelation at the summit that the United States and Germany would commence episodic deployments of long-range missiles in Germany starting from 2026, including surface-to-air SM-6 missiles, Tomahawk cruise missiles, and hypersonic weapons. In addition to this, NATO declared the readiness of a new US air defense base in northern Poland, designed to detect and intercept ballistic missile attacks as part of the broader NATO missile shield. President Vladimir Putin recently advocated for the resumption of intermediate and shorter-range nuclear-capable missile production in response to similar actions by the US in Europe and Asia. He criticized the US for bringing such missiles to Denmark for exercises and the Philippines after agreeing not to deploy them in Kaliningrad. Furthermore, Putin pointed out violations of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which banned ground-based missiles with a range exceeding 500km. The US withdrew from the treaty in 2019, accusing Russia of non-compliance. During the NATO summit, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed concerns about the potential for direct confrontations between Russia and NATO, emphasizing the importance of avoiding steps that could escalate tensions. Russia's Ministry of Defence reported the liberation of the village of Voskhod near Donetsk, which is at the center of intense fighting between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists. Ukraine seeks additional military support to counter Russian advances in the region.