Russia's military chief told a Czech delegation it would be making a "big mistake" by hosting a US missile defence shield on its soil.

Yuri Balyuevsky, the Russian military's chief of staff, told the Czech defence minister he should delay a decision on the shield until after the US holds a presidential election next year.

Washington has been pushing the Czech Republic to host a radar station which would form part of the US missile shield - a system designed to intercept and destroy hostile missiles, but which Moscow sees as a threat to its security.

The missile shield is the latest in a series of moves by Moscow's former Warsaw Pact allies to embrace Nato, effectively moving the West's military capabilities closer to Russia.

Mr Baluyevsky said the Czech move was a political rather than a military decision and hit back at criticism of recent shows of might from Moscow.

"There are unfounded allegations that Russia is attempting to disrupt the peace and tranquillity of Western Europe," he said.

Mr Balyuevsky's comments come days after Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, announced that Moscow would resume long-range patrols by its bomber planes for the first time since the end of the Cold War.

The Czech delegation did not speak to reporters.

Mr Baluyevsky's comments came on the 39th anniversary of the Russian invasion of Czechoslovakia to crush the "Prague Spring", when Soviet tanks ended an attempt by the government of the day to promote liberal reforms.

[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/08/21/wrussia121.xml]