Russia to keep testing new missile in combat, Putin says

  23 November 2024    Read: 597
  Russia to keep testing new missile in combat, Putin says

President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Russia would keep testing its new Oreshnik hypersonic missile in combat and had a stock ready for use, while Ukraine said it was already at work to develop air systems to counter the weapon, AzVision.az reports, citing Reuters. 

Putin was speaking a day after Russia fired the new intermediate-range weapon into Ukraine for the first time, a step he said was prompted by Ukraine's use of US ballistic missiles and British cruise missiles to hit Russia.

Putin described the first use of Oreshnik (hazel tree) as a successful test, and said more would follow.

"We will continue these tests, including in combat conditions, depending on the situation and the nature of the security threats that are created for Russia," he said in televised comments to defense officials and missile developers.

"Moreover, we have a stock of such products, a stock of such systems ready for use."

Moscow says that by giving the green light for Ukraine to fire Western missiles deep inside Russia, the US and its allies are entering into direct conflict with Russia. On Tuesday, Putin approved policy changes that lowered the threshold for Russia to use nuclear weapons in response to an attack with conventional weapons.

The Kremlin said the firing of the Oreshnik was a warning to the West against taking further "reckless" actions and decisions in support of Ukraine.

The Oreshnik was fired with conventional, not nuclear warheads. Putin said it was not a strategic nuclear weapon but its striking power and accuracy meant that its impact would be comparable, "especially when used in a massive group and in combination with other high-precision long-range systems".

He said the missile could not be shot down by an enemy.

"I will add that there is no countermeasure to such a missile, no means of intercepting it, in the world today," he said.

"And I will emphasize once again that we will continue testing this newest system. It is necessary to establish serial production."

 

AzVision.az


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