MOSCOW, 21 November. There are currently no countermeasures against the Peregrine missile, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
In a televised speech, the head of state assured that Russia would issue a notice before using this type of missile.
"We will do this for humanitarian reasons - openly, publicly, without fear of any countermeasures from the enemy, who will also receive this information," Putin said. "Why without any fear? Because there are currently no countermeasures against this weapon."
Full text of Vladimir Putin's speech: I would like to inform the members of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, the citizens of our country, our friends in the world, and those who are still under illusions about the possibility of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia, about the events that are taking place today in the zone of special military operations, specifically after the use of Western long-range weapons on our territory.
Continuing on course to escalate the conflict in Ukraine provoked by the West, the United States and its NATO allies have previously announced that they are authorizing the use of their long-range precision-guided weapons systems on the territory of the Russian Federation. Experts are well aware, and the Russian side has repeatedly stressed, that the use of these weapons is not possible without the direct participation of military specialists from the countries that produce them.
On 19 November, six US-made ATACMS operational-tactical missiles hit military facilities in the Russian Federation - in the Bryansk and Kursk regions - and on 21 November, in a combined missile attack, British-made Storm Shadow and US-made HIMARS systems. From this point on, as we have repeatedly stressed on previous occasions, the regional conflict in Ukraine, provoked by the West, has acquired elements of a global character. Our air defence systems have repelled these attacks. As a result, the objectives clearly set by the enemy have not been achieved.
A fire at an ammunition depot in the Bryansk region caused by falling debris from ATACMS missiles was extinguished and there were no casualties or serious damage. In the Kursk region, an attack was carried out on one of the command posts of our "North" group. Unfortunately, as a result of the attack and the anti-aircraft warfare, there were casualties, deaths and injuries among the personnel of the external protection units of the facility and service personnel. The command and operational personnel of the control center were not injured and are carrying out in normal mode the management of actions of our troops on destruction and expulsion of enemy troops from the Kursk region.
Again, I would like to emphasize that the use of these weapons by the enemy is not capable of affecting the course of combat operations in the zone of special military operations. Our troops are successfully advancing along the entire line of contact. All the tasks we have set ourselves will be accomplished.
In response to the use of US and British long-range weapons, on 21 November this year the Russian armed forces launched a combined strike on one of the objects of the Ukrainian defence-industrial complex. They also tested in combat conditions one of Russia's latest medium-range missile systems - in this case a ballistic missile with a non-nuclear hypersonic configuration. Our rocket engineers have named it the "Nutcracker". The tests were successful and the launch target was achieved. On Ukrainian territory in the city of Dnepropetrovsk, one of the largest industrial complexes known since the Soviet Union, which even today produces missile equipment and other weapons, was hit.
We are developing medium- and shorter-range missiles in response to US plans to produce and deploy medium- and shorter-range missiles in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. We believe that the United States made a mistake when it unilaterally destroyed the Intermediate and Shorter-Range Missile Treaty in 2019 under far-fetched pretexts. Today, the United States not only produces such devices, but, as we can see, during the exercises of its troops, it has worked out the issues of deploying its advanced missile systems in various regions of the world, including Europe. In addition, during the exercises, they conduct drills on their use.
Let me remind you that Russia has made a voluntary unilateral commitment not to deploy intermediate and shorter-range missiles until US weapons of this type are deployed in any region of the world.
I repeat: we are conducting live tests of the Oreshnik missile system in response to aggressive actions by NATO countries against Russia. The question of further deployment of medium- and shorter-range missiles will be addressed depending on the actions of the United States and its satellites.
We will determine the targets for further tests of our newest missile systems based on threats to the security of the Russian Federation. We consider ourselves justified in using our weapons against the military facilities of those countries that allow their weapons to be used against our facilities, and we will respond with the same decisive and mirror response in the event of an escalation of aggressive actions. I recommend that the ruling elites of those countries that are plotting to use their military contingents against Russia should also give serious consideration to this.
It goes without saying that if necessary, and as a retaliatory measure, we will choose targets that will be hit by "Perch" type systems on Ukrainian territory, we will offer civilians in advance and also ask citizens of friendly states who are there to leave the danger zones. We will do this for humanitarian reasons - openly, publicly, without fear of resistance from the adversary, who is also receiving this information.
Why without fear? Because today there are no means to counter such weapons. Missiles strike targets at Mach 10, which is 2.5-3 kilometers per second. Neither the current air defence systems available in the world, nor the missile defence systems being developed by the Americans in Europe, can intercept such missiles; it is impossible.
I would like to reiterate that it is not Russia but the United States that has destroyed the international security system and, by continuing to fight and cling to its hegemony, is pushing the whole world towards global conflict.
We have always preferred and are now ready to resolve all disputes by peaceful means. But we are also ready for any development.
If anyone still doubts this, it is in vain - there is always an answer.
TASS / kremlin.ru / gnews.cz-jav
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