Vladimir Putin’s Russia can’t be number one at the Olympics any longer, since his whole team was banned due to the state-sponsored doping programme, so he is going head-to-head with all his apparent enemies with a load of high-tech nuclear weapons invulnerable to US missile defence.

Announced in a state-of-the-nation address to top officials, Putin was confident in his declaration, explaining how this was a response to years of unchecked advances by the United States in missile defence, reports The Telegraph:

He said the country was developing a new generation of deadly weapons able to penetrate missile defences, including a nuclear-powered cruise missile with “unlimited range,” an underwater nuclear drone and a “practically invulnerable” hypersonic warhead that travels “like a ball of fire”.

Moscow has also tested its long-awaited Sarmat heavy intercontinental ballistic missile, which will fly farther and carry more warheads than its predecessors, he said.

“Russia remained a nuclear power, but no one wanted to speak with us. No one wanted to listen to us. Listen to us now,” Mr Putin said to enthusiastic applause from the audience.

Not as flamboyant as North Korea’s, but here’s a look at what went down:

Those graphics are terrible, but people seem stoked.

A new arms race? Indeed.

Between Kim Jong-un, Donald Trump and now Putin, who have all promised to expand their respective country’s arsenal, it looks like we’re in for one deadly nuclear Armageddon.

Doing as Putin requested and listening, UK defence secretary Gavin Williamson took it one step further and accused Russia of choosing “a path of escalation and provocation” in response:

“We are facing intensifying threats to our way of life and this development is another reminder to not let down our guard,” he said.

However, speaking to CNN, a US official said that Russia’s nuclear-powered cruise missile tests had ended in crashes.

Let’s just hope that no one pokes the bear and forces Putin into something that we will all regret.

[source:telegraph&time]