Vladimir Putin spoke of using an Orechnik missile against Ukraine.
The Russian president wants mass production to be launched and new tests to be carried out.
The development of this type of missile presented as “vital importance” for Moscow.
Follow the full coverage
War in Ukraine: a thousand days since the Russian invasion
Used the day before to strike Ukraine, the new Orechnik hypersonic ballistic missile was highlighted by Vladimir Putin this weekend. The Russian president ordered its mass production, as well as the continuation of combat tests. “We will continue these tests, including in combat situations, depending on the situation and the nature of the threats to Russia’s security”he said during a meeting with military officials broadcast on television.
A reserve of these missiles on Russian soil?
“It is necessary to start mass production”added the Russian president, praising “the power” of this weapon. He also assured that Russia had a “reserve” of these missiles “ready to use” and insisted that “no one else in the world” did not currently have this type of weaponry.
According to Vladimir Putin, the development of this type of missile is of “importance vitale” for Moscow face “to new and growing threats”. On Thursday, Russia indicated that it had struck the Ukrainian city of Dnipro with this new intermediate-range Orechnik missile (up to 5,500 km), which did not carry a nuclear charge.
-
Read also
What we know about the “Orechnik” hypersonic missile used for the first time by Russia against Ukraine
In an address to the Nation on Thursday evening, Vladimir Putin affirmed that this was a response to two Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory using Western missiles. He also threatened to strike countries supplying weapons to kyiv.
This firing of a new Russian missile, which did not cause any casualties according to kyiv, nevertheless marks a new escalation of tensions in the conflict between Moscow and Ukraine, supported by its Western allies.
