Reports: Putin boasts about Russia's missiles

President says weapons capable of piercing any defense system

Alexander Natruskin / Reuters

Russian President Vladimir Putin answers journalists' questions during his annual news conference in Moscow, on Tuesday.

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updated 6:57 a.m. ET Jan. 31, 2006

MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday boasted that Russia has missiles capable of penetrating any missile defense system, the ITAR-Tass and RIA-Novosti news agencies reported.

"Russia last year tested missile systems that no one in the world has and won't have for a long time," the news agencies quoted him as telling a news conference. "These missile systems don't represent a response to a missile defense system, but they are immune to that. They are hypersonic and capable of changing their flight path."

Putin said he had shown the working principles of the missile systems to French President Jacques Chirac during a visit to a Russian military facility.

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"He knows what I'm talking about," RIA-Novosti quoted Putin as telling reporters after state-run news channels had cut their live broadcast of the news conference.