MOSCOW – Russia is developing a new nuclear missile system unlike any weapon held by other countries, President Putin said yesterday, a move that could serve as a signal to America as Washington pushes forward with a missile defense system.

Mr. Putin gave no details about the system or why Russia was pursuing it, and it was unclear whether the Kremlin’s cash-strapped armed forces could even afford an expensive new weapon.

But in remarks that could also be aimed at a domestic audience, he told a meeting of the top leadership of the armed forces that the system could be deployed soon, the ITAR-Tass news agency reported.

“We are not only conducting research and successful tests on state-of-the-art nuclear missile systems, but I am convinced that these systems will appear in the near future,” Mr. Putin said. “Moreover, they will be systems, weapons that not a single other nuclear power has, or will have, in the near future.”

“We’ll continue our efforts to build our armed forces and its nuclear component,” he said.

ITAR-Tass indicated the new system could be a mobile version of the Topol-M ballistic missile, which have been deployed in silos since 1998. But a senior military analyst with Moscow’s Institute for Global Economy and International Relations, Alexander Pikayev, said Mr. Putin seemed to be referring to the Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile, a solid-fuel missile that had its first test in September.

“Putin apparently wanted to boast the success of his military reform effort. …to both the military and the broad public,” Mr. Pikayev said. “His statement also intended to show that Russia is regaining its status as a great power which can’t be ignored.”

Russian officials had stated earlier that the Bulava could be developed in both sea- and land-based versions and equipped with warheads capable of penetrating missile defense, Mr. Pikayev said.

He said if the Bulava proves capable, it would represent a major success because it would show that Russia has succeeded in modernizing its missile forces despite the shortage of funds.

“It will ring the bell for the Americans, forcing Washington to reassess its estimates,” Mr. Pikayev said.

White House spokesman Scott Mc-Clellan said it wasn’t news to the Bush administration, and that President Bush and Mr. Putin had discussed the issue previously. He emphasized there were agreements in place to reduce the two countries’ nuclear arsenals and noted Moscow is now a partner in the war on terrorism.

Separately, Russia is refusing to provide witnesses or information to the independent investigation into alleged corruption in the multibillion-dollar U.N. oil-for-food program in Iraq, an official close to the investigation said yesterday. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Russian diplomats “dug in their heels” during a meeting in Moscow this week with members of the independent inquiry.