Russian President Vladimir Putin has specified his recent threat to target missiles at the US, stating to Russian media: “(We’re talking about) naval delivery vehicles: submarines or surface ships. And we can put them, given the speed and range (of our missiles)… in neutral waters. Plus they are not stationary, they move and they will have to find them.” The Russian leader added: “You work it out: Mach nine (the speed of the missiles) and over 1,000 km (their range).”
Putin also stated that his country was ready for a military standoff with the US like the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, but emphasized that this is not what his country wants. When asked about the tensions between the US and Russia, Putin said that “[t]hey (the tensions) are not a reason to ratchet up confrontation to the levels of the Cuban Missile Crisis in the 1960s. In any case that’s not what we want.” However, the Russian leader added that “[i]f someone wants that, well OK they are welcome. I have set out today what that would mean. Let them count (the missile flight times).”
Read more: Putin to U.S.: I’m ready for another Cuban Missile-style crisis if you want one