During a press conference in Kazakhstan on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to strike the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, with the recently unveiled "Oreshnik" missiles. He also praised the newly elected U.S. President Donald Trump, calling him a very smart and experienced politician.
We do not rule out the use of the "Oreshnik" against military facilities, defense industry sites, or decision-making centers. This includes Kyiv.Vladimir Putin President of Russia
According to Putin, the "Oreshnik" missile, which was launched at Ukraine for the first time last week, carries six warheads and can travel at speeds ten times faster than sound. The Russian President also stated that it cannot be intercepted by any modern air defense systems and that the simultaneous use of multiple "Oreshnik" missiles would be comparable in destructive power to a nuclear strike, even though the "Oreshnik" is not classified as a weapon of mass destruction.
At the CSTO summit in Kazakhstan, Putin mentioned that the "Oreshnik" can penetrate underground bunkers and release dozens of submunitions. He noted that the temperature of the explosive elements reaches 4,000 degrees, and everything within the explosion's epicenter essentially "turns to dust." The Russian President also announced that Russia has begun serial production of the "Oreshnik."
The Russian President suggested that the U.S. decision to allow Ukraine to strike Russia with longer-range missiles could be aimed at complicating negotiations for a peace agreement for the next American administration.
He characterized the new U.S. President Donald Trump as a smart and experienced leader, expressing confidence that he would be able to find a solution, considering that he had accomplished the task of returning to the White House.
Previously, Trump had stated that he could end the war in Ukraine "in one day."