Top diplomat: Russia confident in "Oreshnik" missile's power over US defence systems

Russia firmly believes in the strength of its weaponry and its capability to ensure the nation's security, stated Sergey Ryabkov, Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia, in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s comments about a hypothetical "duel" between Russia's "Oreshnik" missile and the US missile defence system.

“The President has made it clear. We are confident in the strength of our weapons and their ability to always guarantee our security,” Ryabkov emphasized, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

He also pointed out that the long-standing US approach of developing an increasingly layered global missile defence system has proven to be ineffective, as recent events have shown. “This doesn’t enhance the security of the United States. From a cost-effectiveness perspective, this is not the best path forward. Even with the most cautious estimates, it’s not the wisest use of resources. Maybe the US defence industry benefits, but the American people do not,” Ryabkov added.

During the "Results of the Year" event on December 19, President Putin declared that no one has the capability to intercept the "Oreshnik" ballistic missile. He suggested that if Western experts doubt the missile’s effectiveness, they should arrange a "technological duel" between Russia and the West in Kyiv. Putin assured that Russia was fully prepared for such a challenge.

On November 21, President Putin revealed that, in response to actions from Western countries, Russia had struck a military target in Dnipro with its new "Oreshnik" medium-range missile system. He explained that air defence systems are ineffective against such strikes, and in the future, Ukrainian citizens would be warned in advance to facilitate evacuations. 

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov clarified that Russia is not required to notify about the use of such missiles, but an automatic message was sent to the United States within 30 minutes of the strike.

By Tamilla Hasanova