Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced the deployment of a new hypersonic missile, dubbed “Oreshnik,” which is capable of delivering a deadly payload at speeds of Mach 10. The attack on a Ukrainian military-industrial facility in Dnipro has sparked concerns about the escalating conflict and NATO’s response.
The Oreshnik missile, developed in response to US development and deployment of intermediate-range ballistic missiles, has a range of over 3,400 miles and can carry multiple nuclear warheads. Putin claimed that modern air defense systems cannot intercept such missiles, despite expert warnings that even advanced systems may struggle to defend against them.
Putin’s actions are seen as a warning to NATO, which he described as being at war with Russia. He has vowed to respond “resolutely” in the event of further aggression, sparking fears of a wider conflict. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denounced the attack and accused Moscow of using Ukraine as a testing ground for its new weapon.
Western officials have downplayed the significance of the Russian missile, with US officials stating that Russia only has a few experimental missiles in its possession and it is not expected to be regularly deployed against Ukraine. However, the deployment of such a deadly capability sends a clear message from Moscow that the conflict is escalating.
As tensions continue to rise, Putin’s actions have raised concerns about the potential for a wider conflict and the risks posed by Russia’s new hypersonic missile.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-intercontinental-missile-war-putin-d50183ccfc28b10c71e93f3e68159a61