Zelensky touts Ukraine's new 'drone missile', calls Putin 'sick old man'

Defiant comments come as Ukraine marks 33 years of post-Soviet independence

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President Volodymyr Zelensky touted a newly developed Ukrainian "drone missile" on Aug 24 that he said would take the war back to Russia, and scornfully derided Russian President Vladimir Putin as a "sick old man from Red Square".

As Ukraine marked 33 years of post-Soviet independence, Mr Zelensky said the new weapon - Palianytsia was faster and more powerful than the domestically made drones that Kyiv has so far used to fight back against Russia, striking its oil refineries and military airfields.

"Our enemy will... know what the Ukrainian way for retaliation is Worthy, ranged," he said.

symmetrical, longMr Zelensky said the new class of weapon had been used for a successful strike on a target in Russia,but did not say where.

He used derisive language to describe Russia's 71-year-old President and the nuclear rhetoric coming out of Moscow.

"A sick old man from Red Square who constantly threatens everyone with the red button will not dictate any of his red lines to us," Mr Zelensky said, in a video on the Telegram messaging app.