Russia says new nukes cannot be intercepted
President Vladimir Putin claims a technological breakthrough that could dramatically increase his country’s military capability.
An underwater MOSCOW — drone armed with a nuclear warhead powerful enough to sweep away coastal facilities and aircraft carriers.
A hypersonic vehicle impossible to intercept as it flies in a cloud of plasma “like a meteorite.”
President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Russia has these new st rategic weapons and many more, declaring: “No one has listened to us. You listen to us now.”
Putin unveiled the stunning catalog of doomsday machines in his annual state- of-the-nation speech, saying that Russia had to build them to counter the potential threat posed by the U.S. missile defense system.
And with a touch of dark humor, he invited Russians to join a Defense Ministry contest to name some of the weapons.
It wasn’t immediately possible to assess whether the weapons could do what Putin said or how ready they are for deployment, but they would represent a major technological breakthrough that could dramatically bolster Russia’s military capability, boost its global position and trigger a new arms race.
The White House said Putin confirmed what the U.S. has already known: that Russia has been developing “destabilizing weapons systems for over a decade in direct violations of its treaty obligations.”
Spokeswoman Sarah Huck- abee Sanders said President Donald Trump understands the threats and that America is “moving forward to modernize our nuclear arsenal and ensure our capabilities are unmatched.”
Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White also said the Defense Department wasn’t surprised, adding that the U.S. military is prepared to defend the nation.
White told Pentagon reporters that U.S. missile defense has never been about Russia.
Washington has consistently argued that missile defense systems in Europe aren’t aimed at Moscow but designed instead to defend against threats from Iran, North Korea a nd rogue threats.
Putin has shrugged off those arguments and said Thursday that the U.S. plans to develop its missile defense system would “eventually devalue the Russian nuclear arsenal if we sit with our arms folded.”
He said the U.S. has underestimated Russia’s ability to mount a response, aiming for a “unilateral military advantage that could eventually allow it to dictate its terms in other areas.”
The United States should now revise its Russia policy and engage in a serious dialogue on global security, Putin said.
“You will have to assess that new reality and become convinced that what I said today isn’t a bluff,” he said. “It’s not a bluff, trust me.”