Moscow (CNN) Russian President Vladimir Putin boasted Tuesday of his country's "unique" advances in hypersonic weaponry, saying other countries were "trying to catch up with us."

Putin made the remarks at a Russian Defense Ministry board meeting, adding that "not a single country possesses hypersonic weapons, let alone continental-range hypersonic weapons," according to a transcript released by the Kremlin.

Like Russia , both the US and China are also working on hypersonic projects . Beijing said earlier this year that it tested a hypersonic aircraft, while the US Air Force has awarded a contract to Lockheed Martin to develop a missile.

Russian President Vladimir Putin during his annual press conference in Moscow on December 19.

This time last year, Putin made similar claims , saying that the new hypersonic missile system would enter service in 2019 -- something that has yet to happen.

The Russian leader has already publicly showcased a number of advanced weapons that he says are capable of defeating US and NATO defenses, including a missile that can deliver a warhead at hypersonic speed.

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