00:00I have to ask you about the statements we've been hearing from you over the last several
00:11weeks.
00:12You spoke about the first military test of Oreshnik.
00:16It seems as if it is a perfect weapon, even though in the West it's still dubbed as a
00:22modification of an old Soviet missile, saying that the air defense system can bring it down
00:29even at the moment of launch.
00:33Can you comment on that?
00:35And what about the sense behind the name of this Oreshnik, because there are different
00:39theories as to why it received this name.
00:43First, whether that is an old weapon or new weaponry, it's a cutting-edge type of weapon.
00:53Of course, anything that is being done anywhere is based upon previous achievements.
00:59And then we make a step forward, and the same thing applies to Oreshnik.
01:04Yes, there were certain developments in the past, some of them dating back to the new
01:11Russian history.
01:12And based on that groundwork, our researchers and scientists have been thinking what else
01:18they can do.
01:19They talked to the client, namely the defense ministry, and it was even brought up to my
01:27level.
01:28And I weighed in on the final decision on whether this new missile has to be produced
01:34and in what volume.
01:37This is a new weaponry, short-range and intermediate-range missile.
01:43You said that several experts in the West believe that it can be easily intercepted
01:51and destroyed, especially at the moment of launch.
01:56What can I say to these experts?
01:59The thing is, there are different types of air defense systems, because you should know
02:04that there are Patriot air defense systems, which there are also THAAD systems.
02:16I don't know whether they have those in Ukraine.
02:19Maybe if Americans want, they can supply those systems, let them.
02:24It's similar to our S-400, whereas the Patriot is more or less like S-300, whereas this new
02:34one, high-altitude air defense system is more or less like S-400.
02:42Let them do that.
02:43And we'll ask our guys in Ukraine to find some good solutions.
02:56Well, when I say our guys, I say that without irony, because there are those we can talk
03:03to in Ukraine, because there are many people in Ukraine who are dreaming of building their
03:11country of this neo-Nazi regime.
03:15But the thing is, THAAD is basically an anti-missile system, and for many years before, we had
03:25been asking the Americans not to deploy their systems, otherwise we would have to find systems
03:33that would allow us to penetrate those systems.
03:36We had to come up with the Vanguard system, which is kind of a cruise missile, which follows
03:43the landscape without going too high.
03:49So basically, all of that is only leading to new expenses, especially for American taxpayers,
03:56without giving anything in return.
04:01That said, this system has been developed and deployed.
04:09There are two positions in Romania and in Poland, and there are 24 anti-missiles deployed
04:17there.
04:18I think they're called Standard 3 in Romania.
04:27It's the 1B modification with a 300-kilometer range, and it can intercept missiles at 80
04:36to 250 kilometers of altitude.
04:38In Poland, there is a newer modification.
04:42It can intercept as far as 1,000 kilometers and at the altitude of up to 500 kilometers,
04:50whereas Oreshnik is an intermediate-range missile, and it's 1,000 up to 5,500 kilometers.
05:01That's the range of Oreshnik.
05:02Now, just imagine, our system is deployed 2,000 kilometers away.
05:14Even if the anti-missile is deployed in Poland, it's not going to be able to intercept.
05:22They say that the missile is very valuable at the launching stage, but they won't be
05:28able to intercept those missiles so far, moreover, the launching sites are protected, moreover,
05:41it takes time for the anti-missile to get to the missile, but it takes several seconds,
05:47and then it's too late to catch or to intercept it.
05:51So there is, yeah, before the separation, so there is no chance that the missile is
05:57going to be brought down by the anti-missiles.
06:01So if the experts in the West think so, well, let them come up with a proposal to us and
06:09to the U.S., they can suggest kind of a technological experiment, kind of a high-tech fighting duel
06:19of the 21st century.
06:21They can designate a target, say, in Kiev.
06:26They can concentrate all of their air defense and anti-missile defense there, and we will
06:32strike it with Oreshnik, and we'll see what's going to happen.
06:36We're willing to conduct such an experiment.
06:39What about the other side?
06:40Are they ready?
06:43Well, we understand all of their anti-missile and anti-air defense systems are on high alert.
06:50They're ready.
06:51But, you know, what I've just told you is what I have learned from our engineers, from
06:56our scientists, and, of course, the American political leadership also get their information
07:03from their experts.
07:04So let's conduct this duel and look at the outcome.
07:08It's going to be interesting because it's going to be useful both to us and to the American side.
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