Overview

• Speaking at the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi on Oct. 2, Putin said Russia could develop further hypersonic weapons beyond current models.
• He said planned weapons programs remain on track, noting that work continues and that results will follow.
• Putin highlighted existing hypersonic capabilities, naming the Kinzhal air-launched system and the intercontinental Avangard.
• Referencing the Oreshnik complex, he said such systems are not strategic, while acknowledging some U.S. experts classify them differently.
• He asserted confidence in Russia's nuclear deterrent, claimed Moscow bases tactical nuclear arms only in Belarus, and said Russia holds more such weapons than the United States.