As NATO began to respond the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russia's President Vladimir Putin warned anyone "who might be tempted to meddle in the ongoing events" would face "consequences you have never encountered in your history".
Most immediately believed that these words were a nuclear threat, however, Russia has a wide range of advanced new weapons, dubbed Putin's superoruzhie or “super weapons”, that could have a horrendous impact in Ukraine and further afield without risking the inevitable consequences of a nuclear conflict.
The Kh-47M2 Kinzhal, a hypersonic aero-ballistic air-to-ground missile is both fast, it flies at around 7,600mph, and nimble, performing rapid manoeuvres which would help it evade any current NATO missile defence system, The Daily Star reports.
Unconfirmed reports suggest that a number of MiG-31 interceptors armed with Kinzhal missiles were sent from Soltsy Air Base to Chernyakhovsk Naval Air Base, between Belarus and Poland, at the beginning of February 2022.
Intended to take out ships as well as ground targets, the Kinzhal is an unstoppable missile that can be armed with nuclear or high explosive warheads, as well as doing severe damage just by striking its target at a high speed.
But another of Putin’s super weapons need not strike its target at all to completely disable it. The Alabuga radio-electric missile mimics the Electromagnetic Pulse [EMP] generated by a nuclear bomb.
It is believed to be capable of frying any electronic circuit within a three-mile radius, destroying computer-controlled equipment and reducing enemy missiles, radar equipment and even tanks to useless scrap.
A smaller, backpack version nicknamed "Ranets" could be carried onto a battlefield and even deployed behind enemy lines to cripple command and control systems.
The Listva is another Russian weapon using electromagnetic radiation to support advancing ground troops.
The remotely operated mine clearance vehicle uses Ultra High Frequency radio waves to neutralise mines and other explosives from up to 100 yards away.
Speaking at Russia's Academy of Military Science in 2019, the chief of the General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, boasted that Russia was developing advanced new weapons that would allow Russian forces to “seize and maintain the initiative” in any future confrontation.
Gerasimov added that “to answer a threat we need to create a threat”.
“By acting quickly,” he said, “we must pre-empt our adversary with preventive measures, identify his vulnerabilities in a timely manner, and create the threat that unacceptable damage will be inflicted”.
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