Putin: New Russian nukes are answer to U.S. leaving arms treaty

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday his country has developed supersonic nuclear weapons that can reach anywhere in the world, and are "invulnerable to enemy interception."


During his state of the union address to Russian lawmakers in Moscow, Putin said the weapons cannot be tracked by anti-missile systems.

"Russia remained a nuclear power, but no one wanted to listen to us. Listen to us now," he said.

The Russian president said the new nuclear weapons were successfully tested late last year -- and said tests are ongoing for underwater drones that can carry nuclear warheads.

The Kremlin leader said his country will not be the aggressor if the missiles are used, but emphasized they would be used in response to a nuclear attack.

Putin described the nuclear weapon as a missile with an unlimited range that can maneuver for as long as necessary.

"No other country has developed anything like this," he said. "There will be something similar one day but by that time our guys will have come up with something even better."

Putin said the new weapons are being created as a response to the United States' unilateral withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.
 (UPI)
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