confirmed that he fired one at a military installation in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro and that Moscow “had the right” to attack Western countries that supply Kiev with long-range weapons.
Speaking during a televised address to the nation, Putin said Russia had tested the new Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile to target the Yuzhmash military facility in Dnipro.
The Russian leader stated that the attack on Ukraine on Thursday morning (21) was a response to what happened earlier this week.
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“The deployment of the Oreshnik system was a response to US plans to produce and deploy medium- and short-range missiles (…) In case of escalation, Russia will respond decisively and symmetrically,” Putin said.
Initial unconfirmed reports from Ukraine indicated that Russia had used an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), a weapon designed for long-range nuclear strikes and which had never been used in war. There was no indication that the weapon was equipped with nuclear warheads.
Three US officials said it was a medium-range ballistic missile (IRBM) with a shorter range. Medium-range ballistic missiles have a range of 3,000 to 5,500 km.
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“Whether it was an ICBM or an IRBM, range is not the most important factor,” Fabian Hoffmann, a doctoral researcher at the University of Oslo who specializes in missile technology and nuclear strategy, told Associated Press. “The fact of having transported a MIRVed cargo [veículo de reentrada múltipla e independente] it is much more significant for signaling purposes and is the reason Russia opted for it. This payload is exclusively associated with nuclear-capable missiles.”
Putin also issued direct threats against Britain and the US, stating: “Russia reserves the right to use weapons against targets in countries that allow their weapons to be used against Russian targets.”
He claimed that Western defense systems would not be able to intercept Russian missiles like the Oreshnik. Putin said Russia would issue advance warnings before attacks on Ukraine and other countries to allow civilians to evacuate safely.
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