Vladimir Putin has suggested Russia might give the West advance notice of a future hypersonic missile attack to see if Ukraine’s allies can ‘stop it in time’.
During his stage-managed news conference and call-in show, Putin discussed the ongoing Ukraine war.
He has mockingly challenged Ukraine’s Western allies to a ‘high-tech duel’, suggesting that Moscow could send out a warning ahead of a future strike on Kyiv using the Oreshnik missile.
The smirking leader said: ‘Let’s see what happens.’ Putin has claimed Russia’s use of the Oreshnik was a response to the West granting permission for Kyiv to use their longer-range weapons for strikes on Russia.
The shocking challenge to the West comes after Putin said his military was ‘advancing towards achieving our primary goals’ in Ukraine.
‘The situation is changing radically, we are advancing along the entire front line,’ he said at the conference broadcast live by state-controlled TV stations across Russia‘s 11 time zones, attended by journalists from the country’s over 80 regions.
Asked when Russian troops will drive Ukrainian forces out of that region, Putin responded that ‘we will certainly kick them out’ but would not say when. He also pledged to restore the infrastructure damaged by fighting.
Putin, who has held power for nearly a quarter of a century, hinted at the end to the Ukraine war being near about a month before Donald Trump is inaugurated as US President.
