Vladimir Putin has threatened to place Russian long-range missiles within striking range of the West if the US places long-range missiles in Germany starting in 2026.

Washington and Berlin announced earlier this month that the US will begin stationing long-range fire capabilities in Germany in 2026 as part of an attempt to show its support for NATO and European defence.

According to Washington and Berlin, the US's "episodic deployments" are a prelude to the longer-term stationing of such capabilities, which will include the SM-6, Tomahawk cruise missiles, and developing hypersonic weapons with a greater range than those presently in use in Europe.

In a speech on Sunday to sailors from Russia, China, Algeria and India to mark Russian navy day in the former imperial capital of St Petersburg, Putin told the US it risked triggering a cold war-style missile crisis with the move.

“The flight time to targets on our territory of such missiles, which in the future may be equipped with nuclear warheads, will be about 10 minutes,” Putin said.

“We will take mirror measures to deploy, taking into account the actions of the United States, its satellites in Europe and in other regions of the world.”

Putin said the US was stoking tensions and had transferred Typhon missile systems to Denmark and the Philippines, and compared the US plans to the Nato decision to deploy Pershing II launchers in western Europe in 1979.

The Soviet leadership, including General Secretary Yuri Andropov, feared Pershing II deployments were part of an elaborate US-led plan to decapitate the Soviet Union by taking out its political and military leadership.

“This situation is reminiscent of the events of the cold war related to the deployment of American medium-range Pershing missiles in Europe,” Putin said.

The Russian president repeated an earlier warning that Moscow could resume production of

intermediate and shorter range nuclear-capable missiles and then consider where to deploy them if the US brought similar missiles to Europe and Asia.