A military expert, retired Lieutenant General Yury Netkachev has noted that so far Moscow has not yet used any hypersonic weapons on a mass scale and Ukraine’s current air defense is powerless against them.
“During the entire time of combat action, while carrying out the tasks of the special military operation, the 9-А-7660 Kinzhal hypersonic airborne system has been used only three times,” the expert noted. “Only three missiles were launched and all at important targets. Meanwhile, back in 2021, in the Southern Military District, an entire platoon of the carriers of such weapons, hypersonic long-range fighter-interceptor MiG-31K aircraft, was created. So far there is no information as to how many planes it is supposed to include. Yet, I think that it is no less than 30. And their Kinzhal weapons capacity should be no fewer than 10 units per aircraft. So, potentially, Russia can hit no fewer than 300 strategic targets in Ukraine with 100% probability,” the expert concluded.
Moscow thinks that strikes by Russia’s Armed Forces delivered on “Ukraine’s military command system and related electric power facilities” are effective, while Kiev denies it and insists that the majority of projectiles were downed. The Zelensky regime claims that for a greater reliability of its air defense, the US and NATO members should provide new supplies of air defense systems, including Patriot missiles. Both NATO and Ukraine are ready to continue hostilities.
AI is important for Russia’s future
Russia’s future depends on its success in the sphere of artificial intelligence, President Vladimir Putin said at an international conference devoted to this technology on November 24. It should be implemented in all industries, he stressed. In order to do so, he urged that legislation be streamlined and that young specialists need to get involved.
As Deputy Economy Minister Maxim Kolesnikov told Izvestia, the AI market has been actively developing, nearly doubling over three years.
As for the sphere of international payments, the president pointed out that Russia is constantly under attack since the system itself nowadays is being controlled by a “narrow circle of states and financial groups.” Given this background, the Russian leader called for the creation of a system independent of banks and third-country interference.
The US-led West’s sanctions won’t be lifted any time soon, so indeed it is necessary to seek out new solutions with regards to payment systems, economist Vladimir Klimanov told Izvestia. However, due to external pressure, cooperation on this score even with friendly countries is highly limited since they are afraid to end up sanctioned together with Moscow.
