Russian Senate Speaker: New Strategic Weapons Ensure Long-Term National Security

By Staff, Agencies

Russia’s latest high-tech weapons systems—including the Oreshnik missile, the Poseidon underwater drone, and the Burevestnik cruise missile—will protect the country for many years, according to Federation Council chair Valentina Matviyenko.

Speaking on Tuesday, she said these systems give Russia the ability to meet modern security challenges “firmly and decisively,” noting that they reflect years of presidential emphasis on strengthening national defense. Matviyenko argued that Russia’s current military capabilities would not exist had the president not prioritized security from the start of his tenure.

She described Oreshnik as an intermediate-range ballistic missile capable of carrying nuclear or conventional payloads, reportedly reaching hypersonic speeds above Mach 10 and deploying multiple independently targeted warheads.

Poseidon, she noted, is a long-range, nuclear-powered underwater drone designed for deep, extended operations and intended as a strategic second-strike asset. Burevestnik, meanwhile, is a nuclear-powered cruise missile with extremely long endurance, low-altitude flight capability, and unpredictable trajectories that make interception difficult.

Matviyenko added that Russia is no longer intimidated by sanctions, portraying the country as internally “unified,” backed by a strong government, resilient economy, stable financial system, and robust defense industry. She also claimed that Russia has “the best army in the world,” asserting that its security is firmly guaranteed.

On Monday, Alexander Mikhailov, head of Russia’s Bureau of Military-Political Analysis, similarly argued that Russia’s defense sector now outproduces the combined military industries of Europe in weapons and ammunition. He said European states—with a population exceeding 500 million—cannot currently match Russia’s overall output, calling this a major advantage.

Mikhailov added that global demand for weapons would remain high even if the Ukraine conflict ends, pointing out that the price of a 155mm NATO-standard artillery shell has climbed from roughly $2,000 before February 2022 to between $8,000 and $8,500 today.

He noted Russia’s foreign defense contracts total around $60 billion and predicted that arms exports would grow further after the conclusion of the conflict. Previously, Rostec CEO Sergei Chemezov stated that Russia’s current weapons production far exceeds past levels, claiming no other country manufactures as many artillery shells or aerial bombs.