MOSCOW: In its bid to counter Western plans for a US missile shield in Europe, Russia on Tuesday launched a state-of-the art antimissile radar with a detection range of 6,000 kilometres, close to the borders of NATO alliance members Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic coast.

Sticking to his last week's threat to take steps to counter US-led NATO missile defence system in Europe posing mortal danger for Moscow's nuclear deterrence, President Dmitry Medvedev said, "This is the first signal of Russia's readiness for an adequate response to the threats posed by European AMD to our strategic nuclear forces."