Threat of retaliation on countries other than Ukraine, expansion of conflict around the world…: what to remember from Vladimir Putin’s speech

Moscow does not rule out hitting countries whose weapons are used by Ukraine in Russia

However, he said that the two Ukrainian attacks against military installations in the Russian regions of Bryansk and Kursk had “failed”.

“We consider ourselves within our rights to use our weapons against the military installations of countries that authorize the use of their weapons against our installations,” warned Mr. Putin.

“And in the event of an escalation of aggressive actions, we will respond just as strongly,” he added.

“Today there is no way to counter such weapons”

Mr. Putin announced that in response to Western missile strikes in Russia, his forces fired on Ukraine on Thursday with a new type of hypersonic ballistic missile dubbed “Orechnik”, which was in its “nuclear-free configuration”.

This shot targeted “a site of the Ukrainian military-industrial complex,” he said.

Ukraine reported earlier in the day a strike with an unknown missile on the town of Dnipro, in the center-east of the country, which is home to the Pivdenmach group, which notably produces components for missiles.

According to Vladimir Putin, this new hypersonic missile is invincible.

“Today there is no way to counter such weapons. The missiles attack targets at a speed of Mach 10, or 2.5 to 3 kilometers per second. The air defense systems currently available in the world and the anti-missile defense systems created by the Americans in Europe do not intercept these missiles. This is excluded,” he insisted.

In the midst of the escalation of the conflict, Mr. Putin also assured that Russia was “ready for all” scenarios, both against Ukraine and against the West.

“We have always been ready, and we still are, to resolve all problems by peaceful means, but we are also ready to deal with any developments,” he said.

“If anyone still doubts it, it’s useless. There will always be an answer,” he warned.