Putin Challenges West to a 'Duel' Featuring His Newest Hypersonic Missile

Russian leader knows he is in the driver's seat in Ukraine, one expert says

Russian President Vladimir Putin was confident during his annual “Direct Line press event” when he spoke about his latest hypersonic missile, the Oreshnik, and essentially called it unstoppable once launched.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE TRENDS JOURNAL WEEKLY MAGAZINE

He even half-jokingly called for a duel with the West.

“There is no chance of shooting down these missiles,” he said, according to RT.

FORMER CIA ANALYST: RUSSIA’S ORESHNIK IS A GAME-CHANGER

He responded to a question about Western experts who questioned possible vulnerabilities and recommended “some kind of technological experiment.”

“Let’s say a high-tech duel of the 21st century,” he said. “Let them determine some kind of strike target, say, in Kyiv. They’ll concentrate all of their air defense and missile defense forces there, and we’ll strike there with the Oreshnik. And we’ll see what happens.”

Michael Maloof, a former senior security policy analyst at the Pentagon, spoke to Sputnik and said the U.S. has nothing in its arsenal that can stop the medium-range hypersonic ballistic missile.

“The US not only does not have a hypersonic offensive system, it doesn't even have a defensive system that has any hope of stopping Oreshnik and the new class of missiles that are coming out,” he told the outlet.

Professor John Mearsheimer, the University of Chicago professor, told Judge Andrew Napolitano’s “Judging Freedom” that Putin was being “playful” in his response because “he is in the driver’s seat.”

“He knows that we are in deep trouble in Ukraine,” the professor said. “And he knows the Oreshnik missile is going to get through no matter what, and, therefore, he can poke us in the eye.”