Russian President Vladimir Putin's missile 'duel' challenge to US and West

Russia: Days after the United States allowed Ukraine to use its weapons against Russia, President Vladimir Putin on Thursday suggested a missile ‘duel’ with the United States, news agency Reuters reports.

The challenge would reportedly show how Russia’s new Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile could defeat any U.S. and NATO missile defense system.

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Stating that Russia is ready for such an experiment, Pustin stated that both sides select a designated target to be protected by U.S. missiles. Putin’s attempt is being viewed as an effort to address the western skepticism about the Oreshnik.

There were earlier reports that experts had claimed that defense systems like Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System, Aegis Ashore, THAAD, Patriot, or Iron Dome are ineffective against Oreshnik. “Let them call us and those in the West and the US who pay for their analysis out to conduct sort of a technological experiment and have a 21st century-style high-tech duel. Let them choose a target, say, in Kiev, and amass their air and missile defense systems there,” Russia’s TAAS news agency quoted Putin.

The Russian president, expressing his confidence, said that while they will launch an Oreshnik missile at the target, “we will see what happens.”

The Russian President claims Oreshnik to be a modern weapon, even though it is based on previous Russian design developments. Russia first used Oreshnik missiles at the Ukrainian city of Dnipro on November 21 after Ukraine first used US ATACMs ballistic missiles and British Storm Shadows to target Russian territory.

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However, after the outgoing US administration decided to allow Ukraine to use its weapons against Russia, President-elect Donald Trump had called the move a mistake, stating that he would reverse the measure after taking charge.

Trump had called Biden’s move “stupid,” while noting that his incoming administration was not consulted before permitting Ukraine to use the Army Tactical Missile System to strike Russian positions. However, the White House had defended its move, pointing out that the decision was taken after months of deliberation that started even before the presidential election.