Vladimir Putin has warned that his new Oreshnik missile is impossible to intercept as he continues to threaten more escalation in Ukraine.
He unveiled the new weapon in November, launching it in Ukraine for the first time.
Moscow has claimed that the missile can fly at 10x the speed of sound, meaning even US defence systems would be powerless to stop it.
However, Russia has a history of branding its weapons « unstoppable » before their enemies shoot them down.
Sabrina Singh, the Pentagon’s deputy press secretary, has warned that Russia could launch its Oreshnik missile again soon.
She said: « Putin has said publicly that Russia intends to launch another experimental Oreshnik missile.
« It’s possible that Russia could do it in the coming days. I don’t have an exact date for you.
« I think the point of us getting out this information is to also ensure that, you know, this is not going to be a silver bullet change to the battlefield.
« The war is going to continue, and our support for Ukraine is going to continue. »
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said his country will host Russia‘s new weapon in 2025.
He asked for the missiles, citing fears of Polish and Lithuanian troops near Belarus.
Lukashenko said: “Russians will supply us with missiles for free. »
But Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, wrote in a Telegram post that “the deployment in Belarus will be spread purely for information purposes. »
He argues that the move is designed to scare European allies of Ukraine about potential escalation.
Russian forces are continuing their offensive in the east of Ukraine.
Ukraine’s top commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said Russia is “throwing all available forces forward, attempting to break through our troops’ defences. »
Kyiv has confirmed that the Russians are advancing near the city of Pokrovsk.
Ukraine’s military spokesperson for the eastern front, Nazar Voloshyn, said: “As a result of prolonged clashes, two of our positions were destroyed, one was lost. Currently, measures are being taken to restore positions.”
Russia is suffering an average of 1,300 casualties a day as a result of its offensive, the Ministry of Defence says.
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