Testing new ballistic missile

Russia will keep testing new ballistic missile, Putin says

From CNN’s Katharina Krebs, Darya Tarasova and Christian Edwards

President Vladimir Putin on Friday said Russia will continue to test the hypersonic ballistic missile known as “Oreshnik,” which it fired at Ukraine on Thursday.

In a televised meeting with the leadership of Russia’s defense ministry, Putin claimed the missile could not be intercepted by air defenses and said Russia will begin serial production of the new system.

“There are currently no means of countering such a missile, no means of intercepting it, in the world. And I will emphasize once again: We will continue testing the latest system,” Putin said.

Putin said Russia was developing “several similar systems” for further testing.

“Based on the test results, these weapons will also go into production. That is, we are developing a whole line of medium- and shorter-range systems,” he added.

Putin’s comments come a day after Russia fired the “Oreshnik” missile — which contains multiple warheads — at Ukraine’s Dnipro region.

Kyiv initially accused Russia of firing an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at Ukraine, although Western officials later said the weapon was an experimental intermediate-range ballistic missile. According to US and Western officials, the ballistic missile carried multiple warheads, which may be the first time such a weapon has been used in war.

Putin said the Oreshnik system is not an ICBM and not a “strategic weapon,” but said that “due to its striking power,” it will be “comparable in effect and power to strategic weapons.”