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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Daniel Keane

Zelensky urges 'serious response' as Putin says stock of new missiles 'ready to be used'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky - (PA Wire)

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky urged the West to deliver a serious response to Vladimir Putin’s threats of further aggression.

It came as the Russian President warned on Friday that the military would keep testing its new Oreshnik hypersonic missile in combat and had a stock ready for use.

On Thursday, Russia fired a new intermediate-range weapon into Ukraine for the first time, prompting condemnation from western leaders.

Mr Putin said the move was prompted by Ukraine’s use of US ballistic missiles and British cruise missiles to hit Russia.

He described the first use of Oreshnik as a successful test, and said more would follow.

"We will continue these tests, including in combat conditions, depending on the situation and the nature of the security threats that are created for Russia," he said in televised comments to defence officials and missile developers.

"Moreover, we have a stock of such products, a stock of such systems ready for use."

Mr Zelensky said that the western response to Mr Putin’s actions would need to make him feel the consequences of his actions, adding that the “Russian missile threat” cannot be ignored.

Russia’s ambassador to the UK, Andrei Kelin, said on Thursday that the UK was “directly involved” in the war in Ukraine after Kyiv reportedly used its Storm Shadow missiles to strike targets in Russia.

Responding to his comments, a Downing Street spokesperson told the broadcaster that the Government would not be “deterred or distracted by commentary from Vladimir Putin or the Russian ambassador”.

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