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Vladimir Putin, with military chiefs, oversaw the Avangard test at the National Centre for State Defence Control in Moscow (Photo: Kremlin.ru)

Putin tests new missile to frighten Europe

Russia has tested a "hypersonic" missile capable of a nuclear strike anywhere in Europe in what Russian president Vladimir Putin called "a great New Year's present for the country".

The 'Avangard' system, to be deployed in 2019, travels at 20 times the speed of sound and has a range of 6,000km.

"It is impervious to current and future air defence and missile defence systems" of Western countries, the Russian president claimed on Wednesday (26 December), after the new rocket was f...

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Author Bio

Andrew Rettman is EUobserver's Foreign Affairs Editor. He has been writing about foreign and security affairs for EUobserver since 2005. He is Polish but grew up in the UK. He has also written for The Guardian, The Telegraph, and The Times of London.

Vladimir Putin, with military chiefs, oversaw the Avangard test at the National Centre for State Defence Control in Moscow (Photo: Kremlin.ru)

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Author Bio

Andrew Rettman is EUobserver's Foreign Affairs Editor. He has been writing about foreign and security affairs for EUobserver since 2005. He is Polish but grew up in the UK. He has also written for The Guardian, The Telegraph, and The Times of London.

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