Putin challenges West to 'high-tech duel' on Oreshnik missiles

The Oreshnik missile defense system is a “modern, very new weapon,” Putin says in response to a question referring to the West’s doubts about Russia’s missile capabilities.

He said Western experts and should challenge Russia “to conduct some kind of technological experiment, a high-tech duel of the 21st century. Let them identify a strike target, say in Kyiv, concentrate all their air defense and missile defense forces there, and we will strike there with the ‘Oreshnik’ and see what happens. We are ready for such an experiment.”

The Kremlin announced Monday that Russia would launch the serial production of the missiles in the “near future” to “protect the security of Russia and our allies.”

Russian forces first deployed the Oreshnik missile late last month, striking the Ukrainian city of Dnipro, after Kyiv used long-range missiles provided by France, the United States and the United Kingdom to strike targets within Russia.