Russia says may deploy missiles in Baltic region

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Russia said on Friday it would deploy Iskander tactical missiles in its Kaliningrad exclave if it felt there was a direct European threat to Moscow.

"We have repeatedly discussed this issue, and unless there is a direct threat to Russia we will not place Iskander missiles in Kaliningrad," Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov told reporters during a visit to Finland.

"If there is some threat from Europe to Russia, then we will place them (there)," he said. "This is a matter where the decision is made by the president."

Serdyukov did not clarify what potential threats could push Russia to deploy missiles in its Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad, Moscow's westernmost territory which borders NATO-member Poland.

In January last year Russia suspended the deployment of its Iskander missiles in Kaliningrad after U.S. President Barack Obama signaled he was not rushing to deploy elements of a U.S. missile shield in Europe, a plan favored by former U.S. President George W. Bush.

Obama's decision pleased the Kremlin, but Poland's decision to deploy on its soil U.S. Patriot interceptor missiles as part of an anti-missile system in Europe has again alarmed Moscow.

Warsaw said last month it would station the Patriot missile battery in the northern city of Morag, near Kaliningrad.

(Reporting by Terhi Kinnunen, Writing by Dmitry Solovyov in Moscow, Editing by Janet Lawrence)