«We were simply deceived, as we see now»: Putin on events in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated during the "Moscow. Kremlin. Putin" program on the "Russia 1" channel that Russia is not currently using hypersonic weapons during its military special operation in Ukraine, though such weapons do exist.

When asked whether it would have been better to begin a special military operation in Ukraine in 2014, he responded that at that time Moscow believed all issues could be resolved exclusively through peaceful means. The President emphasized that Russia has never sought confrontation.

"As we can see now, we were simply deceived. None of our so-called partners were even planning to resolve anything peacefully; they were simply supplying arms to Ukraine and preparing for combat operations," Putin said.

Regarding the appropriateness of such actions, Putin believes that it also relates to Russia's readiness for more serious operations than what is termed the 'Crimean spring.' This includes ensuring the country’s food security, replacing imports, strengthening the financial system, and developing modern armaments.

"Thus, despite the expectations of the opponent, nothing has collapsed here; everything is functioning, and the 'Mir' card is operational, the financial system is working, and banks are expanding their capabilities. What would have happened in 2014? It is very difficult to say. In the end, we have a lot to do, for instance, for the development of land forces. Also, at that time, we did not have hypersonic weapons, but now we do. Yes, we are not using them currently, but they do exist. Do you understand? There are also other modern systems, and such things did not exist in 2014," Putin stated.