Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking on special annual conference dubbed Direct Line, stated that European air defence systems were not capable of shooting down Oreshnik missiles, according to Russian media.
If Western experts believe [that the Oreshnik can be shot down], then let them propose (…) to conduct some kind of technological experiment, a high-tech duel of the XXI century. Let them determine some object to hit, let’s say, in Kyiv, concentrate all their air defence and missile protection forces there, and we will strike there with Oreshnik [missiles]. And see what happens.
Putin summarised the annual results during a large press conference combined with the Direct Line on Thursday, 19 December. He began his speech with the economy, emphasising that “the situation with it in Russia is normal.”
Russia’s economy grew by 3.6 per cent last year and could reach 4 per cent this year, according to the president. However, he also warned of possible challenges related to global inflation.
Elvira Nabiullina, governor of Russia’s central bank, reported inflation at 9.2-9.3 per cent. Meanwhile, wages rose by 9 per cent “in real terms, minus inflation,” Putin stressed, referring to the national average.
Generally, the situation is stable and secure.
On 21 November, Putin said that Russian forces had struck the city of Dnipro with Oreshnik, an experimental intermediate-range ballistic (IRBM) missile. The strike came in retaliation for the US-authorised use of long-range missiles by the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) to attack deep inside Russia.
