Western air-defence systems are incapable of intercepting Russia’s new Oreshnik medium-range missile, President Vladimir Putin insisted on Thursday – before throwing down the gauntlet of a test duel.
“There is no chance of shooting down these missiles,” Putin said in Moscow at his combined annual press conference and public address.
If the West had any doubts about the missile’s capabilities, it could name a target in Kiev protected by all available air-defence weapons which would then be targeted by the Oreshnik, Putin said.
This would be an “experiment, a high-tech duel of the 21st century,” according to the Russian leader.
It would then become clear whether they could stop the missile, he said, expressing Russia’s readiness to participate.
Putin was responding to a question from the Russian army channel Zvezda, which had quoted an alleged assessment by Western experts that the Oreshnik – hazel tree in English – could be easily defeated in its initial stages.
Russia first fired the missile, which can in principle be equipped with nuclear weapons, at the Ukrainian city of Dnipro in November. However, the damage was minor. The missile did not carry any nuclear warheads.
Putin emphasized that Russia was also prepared to use nuclear weapons in an emergency. The country’s new doctrine also allowed an attack by non-nuclear countries supported by nuclear powers to be met with a nuclear strike if Russia’s sovereignty is threatened.
The nuclear security guarantees also apply to Russia’s neighbour and ally Belarus, he said.
