(Photo Credit: The Kremlin)
The Russian president said he would do so only if the U.S. deploys missiles in Europe aimed at his country.
President Vladimir Putin says Russia is ready for a Cuban Missile-style crisis if the US is foolish enough to want one.
In an interview with reporters, he boasted how his country has the military edge in delivering a nuclear strike against the U.S. if it first chooses to launch a strike with missiles parked in Europe. He did, however, rule out adopting a first-strike policy similar to the one held by the U.S.
Instead, he referred to his address to the Federal Assembly on Wednesday in which he warned Russia could strike U.S. and NATO “decision centers”:
“We are talking about comparable values associated with threats to us, comparable values primarily in time. Or maybe, if we have more time, then there will be no need for preventive strikes … They know how to count, let them calculate the speed of our promising [hypersonic weapons], the range of their possible use.”
Putin went on to say that those missiles could be positioned on submarines and surface ships that could lurk just outside American territorial waters. The U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone extends no more than 200 miles from shore, while the new Avangard hypersonic missile has a range of approximately 620 miles, traveling at upward of Mach 9 (nearly 7,000 mph).
The Russian president went on to tell the reporters:
“Here count: 1,000 kilometers—[Mach 9]—how quickly, in how many minutes, can this product reach the goal that will be set for it? … And compare: 10-12 minutes flying time to Moscow and how much will it be to decision-making centers that create certain threats for us? It will not be in their favor, anyway.”
Based on the numbers provided by Putin, the Avangard—with a 2-megaton warhead—can reach a target at its maximum range in 5 minutes and 24 seconds. He estimated a U.S.-NATO attack would need 10 to 12 minutes to reach Moscow.
Full article: Putin Preparing for Second Cuban Missile Crisis (TruNews)
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