Vladimir Putin has increased production of a new hypersonic missile he fired at Ukraine last week, boasting that “no one in the world has such weapons.”
The Russian despot fired the new Oreshnik missile at the Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Thursday, after Ukraine fired long-range US ATACMS and British Storm Shadow missiles towards Russia.
The Oreshnik, which means hazel, travels at speeds of around 8,370 miles per hour and is capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads. But Putin told the Russian nation in a televised address that the missile fired at a military-industrial site in Dnipro used conventional warheads.
After firing the Oreshnik, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned Britain and the United States of their “reckless” action in supplying long-range missiles to Ukraine.
Peskov said: “The main message is that the reckless decisions and actions of Western countries that produce missiles, supply them to Ukraine and subsequently engage in attacks on Russian territory cannot go without a reaction from the Russian side.”
This weekend, Putin boasted that no country in the world has the power to intercept Oreshnik missiles, which fly at ten times the speed of sound. He said: “There is no countermeasure for such a missile in the world today, nor any means to intercept it.”
‘And I will emphasize once again that we will continue to test this newer system.
“It is necessary to establish serial production.”
Vladimir Putin has increased production of a new hypersonic missile he launched against Ukraine last week.
The Russian despot fired the new Oreshnik missile at the Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Thursday, after Ukraine fired long-range US ATACMS and British Storm Shadow missiles towards Russia.
A view shows the site of a Russian missile attack, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Dnipro.
Firefighters work at the site of the Russian missile attack in Dnipro
He added: ‘No one in the world has such weapons. Sooner or later, other leading countries will also get them. We are aware that they are under development.’
The missile fired into Ukraine prompted the country’s parliament to cancel a session as security was tightened in kyiv.
NATO chiefs and Ukrainian leaders are expected to hold emergency talks on Tuesday.
But the West remained defiant against Putin last night, when French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot gave Ukraine the green light to fire long-range French missiles at Russia “in the logic of self-defense.”
He did not confirm whether French weapons were already being used, but said there were no “red lines” when it comes to supporting Ukraine.
Last night, a senior Ukrainian military source said the country had lost 40 percent of the territory it had gained in Russia’s Kursk region. The source said Russia had deployed 59,000 troops there, pushing back Ukrainian troops.
He said, “At most, we controlled about 531 square miles.” “We now control approximately 309 miles.”
President Zelensky revealed yesterday that Russian drone and missile attacks had damaged 321 Ukrainian port facilities since July last year.
He added that 20 merchant ships belonging to other countries were also damaged by the Russian attacks.
He said: ‘Ukraine’s food exports provide food to 400 million people in 100 countries around the world. Food prices in Egypt, Libya, Nigeria and other African countries depend directly on whether Ukrainian farmers and agricultural businesses can operate normally.’
Last night it emerged that Putin had signed a law allowing debt forgiveness of up to £76,000 for anyone who joined the army.
The law would erase recruits’ debts in default with government agencies or banks.