Putin dismisses assertion that China’s hypersonic missiles present threat

Russia’s president dismissed the idea that hypersonic weapons under development in neighbouring China posed a threat to Russia’s security, while asserting the strength of Moscow’s relationship with Beijing.

Vladimir Putin spoke via videoconference on Tuesday at a Russian investment forum, according to Bloomberg, and suggested that the US was further along in the development of hypersonic weapons than the Pentagon has let on.

“Why should we be concerned about the increased military potential of our nearest neighbor with whom we have an unprecedentedly high level of bilateral ties?” said Mr Putin, according to Bloomberg. He reportedly added: “We saw the reaction of our US partners to this but we know that the US is slightly ahead in hypersonic weapons development.”