Put Russian Hypersonic Missiles Close to Washington, DC
The former Russian president called for hypersonic missiles to be deployed near Washington, DC. Dmitry Medvedev was attacked after US officials said the war in Ukraine is not “worthy” of the Russians. Medvedev has offered some of Russia’s boldest comments throughout the war. Loading Something is loading.
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The former Russian president attacked the US on Thursday in a statement calling for the country’s warships, armed with hypersonic missiles, to be stationed near Washington, DC.
Dmitry Medvedev, who serves as deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, made the comments in a scathing Telegram post in response to an appeal to ordinary Russians from the US Embassy.
On Wednesday, the embassy tweeted a Russian-language video saying President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine was “not worthy” of Russians, according to a Reuters translation.
—Посольство USA in РФ/ US Embassy in Russia (@USEmbRu) January 4, 2023
In response, Medvedev said: “The main New Year’s gift was the arsenal of Zircon missiles that went to the shores of NATO countries yesterday,” according to the translation of The Jerusalem Post.
He then called for the missiles to be placed “somewhere 100 miles off the coast [of the US]closer to the Potomac River,” the publication reported.
Hypersonic missiles are extremely fast and can travel on an unpredictable flight path, making them more difficult to intercept with traditional air defense systems. Zircon has a range of 310 to 620 miles, according to CNN, which cited the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance.
The 405-mile-long Potomac River runs through Washington, DC, the seat of the US federal government.
On Wednesday, Russia announced it was sending its Admiral Gorshkov warship, armed with Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles, on a long-range voyage that would pass through the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.
Medvedev has produced some of the most extreme and harsh comments since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, repeatedly touting his country’s nuclear arsenal and often going beyond the rhetoric offered by Putin.
Calling the US “sons of whores” and “weird” in his tweet on Thursday, he described the US Embassy’s tweet as a cynical attempt to use Nazi propaganda methods, according to a Reuters translation.
The US has been one of Ukraine’s most important allies during the conflict, sending billions of dollars in aid and weapons to the country.
According to Reuters, Medvedev said the sight of Admiral Gorshkov off US shores “would bring to mind anyone who poses a direct threat to Russia and our allies”.
