MOSCOW, Dec 19 — Russian President Vladimir Putin today suggested a missile “duel” with the United States that would show how Russia’s new Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile could defeat any US missile defence system.
Addressing Western scepticism about the Oreshnik, Putin suggested both sides select a designated target to be protected by US missiles.
“We’re ready for such an experiment,” Putin said.
Putin also said Oreshnik was a modern weapon, though it is based on previous Russian design developments.
Russia first fired the Oreshnik missile at the Ukrainian city of Dnipro on November 21, in what Putin cast as a response to Ukraine’s first use of US ATACMs ballistic missiles and British Storm Shadows to strike Russian territory with Western permission.
— Reuters
