Putin: We have delivered “Oreshnik” missiles to the Russian Army

MOSCOW, Aug. 01 (YPA) – President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Russia has begun production of the Oreshnik hypersonic missile systems, with the first system already delivered to the Russian armed forces, according to the Sputnik news agency.

In a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko Putin stated: “We have produced the first system and delivered it to the  Armed Forces, and now industrial production of these missiles has begun,”

During their informal meeting on on Valaam Island near St Petersburg, Presidents Putin and Lukashenko discussed plans to deploy the Oreshnik system in Belarus.

Putin said that deployment could be completed by the end of this year, noting that military experts from both countries have already determined the locations for the deployment of these latest missiles in the Russian arsenal.

Putin had earlier emphasized that if Oreshnik missiles were used in a large-scale, single strike, their power would be equivalent to nuclear weapons. However, he clarified that  Oreshnik  missile system is not a weapon of mass destruction, as it is highly precise and is currently only equipped with conventional warheads.

@E.Y.M