Russia must scrap or alter missiles U.S. says violate arms treaty

FILE PHOTO: Soviet armoured vehicles are seen in front of the St. Basil's cathedral during a rehearsal for a military parade to mark the anniversary of a historical parade in 1941 when Soviet soldiers marched towards the front lines, at the Red Square in Moscow, Russia November 5, 2018. REUTERS/Maxum Shemetov/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Russia must scrap its 9M729 nuclear-capable cruise missiles and launchers or modify the weapons' range to return to compliance with a key Cold War-era arms control treaty and avert a U.S. pullout from the pact, a senior U.S. official said Thursday.

"Either you rid the system, rid the launcher or change the system where it doesn't exceed the range" in a verifiable manner, said U.S. Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Andrea Thompson.