Russian President Vladimir Putin has explained that he did not start a war in Ukraine in 2014 because Russia was not militarily prepared and did not have “hypersonic weapons”, while claiming that they are not currently being used in “special operations”.

Putin said Russia was not militarily ready for full-scale war in 2014, when it annexed Crimea, primarily because it did not have “hypersonic weapons.”

• “Then we didn’t have hypersonic weapons, but now we do. Yes, we don’t actually use them, but they exist.
• “We assumed that we would be able to solve all problems in a completely peaceful way…
• Secondly, this also applies to our preparation for some more serious actions than actions within the framework of the so-called “Crimean Spring”.

At the same time, Putin also said that in 2022, Russia is economically ready to face the costs of the war.

“It was about providing food, replacing imports, strengthening the financial system and developing modern weapons,” Putin said.

The president emphasized that now, despite the “enemy’s” expectations, “nothing has collapsed in Russia, the financial system is working, banks are increasing their capacities.”

But, in his opinion, it is very difficult to say what would happen in 2014.

Since the start of the full-scale invasion, both Russia and Ukraine have said that Russia fired Kinzhal missiles at targets in Ukraine.

The Dagger entered service in December 2017 and was one of six new Russian strategic weapons unveiled by Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 1, 2018.

On March 9, the Russian Armed Forces launched 6 Kh-47M2 Kinzhal hypersonic missiles over Ukraine as part of a new “retaliation” strike.

This weapon has the greatest destructive power thanks to a warhead weighing 950 kilograms.

The Kh-22 is a powerful anti-ship missile that Russia has also used against ground targets in Ukraine. They are considered to be extremely inaccurate when used for this purpose, putting large numbers of civilians at risk of death.

Putin allegedly postponed the invasion three times

In December 2022, the deputy head of the Main Directorate of Military Intelligence of Ukraine, Vadym Skibitsky, said that Putin had three times postponed Russia’s planned invasion of Ukraine after consultations with the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

Skibitsky said that Russia’s Federal Security Service urged Gerasimov to proceed with the invasion and that Russia had invested significant resources in its preparation.

Skibitsky added that Russian military units involved in the planned invasion were supplied with food, ammunition and fuel for only three days, indicating that Russia may have seriously underestimated the situation.

According to numerous independent analyzes and investigations, Russia’s decision to invade Ukraine was made by Vladimir Putin in considerable isolation from all but his closest personal confidantes, a factor seen as a key reason for the failures in the early days of the offensive on Kyiv.

It will be recalled that the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin for the war crime of illegal deportation of at least 100 children from Ukraine

Sources: Kyiv Independent, Ukrainian Truth and RIA Novosti