As the ties between the U.S. and Russia grow more fragile, the U.S. government on Monday accused Moscow of violating the Cold War Treaty.

Ratified in 1988, the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty aimed to get rid of ground-to-air cruise missiles that possess ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers (310 and 3,400 miles).

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In a statement, a U.S. administration official called it a "very serious" issue and urged Russia to comply once again with its obligations in line with the treaty. He said the Obama Administration expressed serious concern over the fact that Russia fails to abide by the treaty.

The U.S. official added that Washington already tried to contact Russia about its violation.

"We want Russia to comply with its treaty obligations and to eliminate all banned items in a way, so it can be verified," the official said.

The U.S. official said they attempted to deal with the issue with Russia in the past, and now they are encouraging Moscow to get rid of prohibited things in a method that can be verified. Although the official did not explain how Russia violated the 1988 treaty, the New York Times published a report in Washington about Russia testing a ground-launched cruise missile.

According to Daryl Kimball, the executive director of Washington research group Arms Control Association, a formal determination of Russia's violation of the treaty could be on its way. With Russia's stock of missile arsenal, the official said the U.S. would not see the violation as a new army threat to the U.S. and its allies in Europe.

In a separate interview, Kimball called the act "disturbing." He said the infraction suggests Russia is stepping beyond the long-term practice of the U.S. and Russia of prohibiting the use of very dangerous weapons despite their disagreements on various issues.

In a bid to make Russia comply once again with the nuclear treaty, the U.S. notified Russia of the formal determination. It also urged Moscow to attend a high-level discussion regarding the issue.

Lately, the U.S. and its European counterparts have agreed to impose stronger sanctions on major Russian sectors. The sanctions are a step up when compared with how the U.S. and EU imposed them in the past.

In the event that Russia refuses to comply with the treaty, the U.S. will discuss the matter with its allies and take into consideration the impact of the violation on their security as a whole.

TagsU.S., Russia, Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces treaty, Cold War treaty, New York Times, Daryl Kimball, Arms Control Association, Europe