Russia Confirms Testing of New Missile in Ukraine Amid Rising Tensions

Russian President Vladimir Putin has acknowledged the deployment of a new intermediate-range ballistic missile named «Oreshnik» during an assault on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. This revelation has intensified the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which has spanned nearly three years.

The Kremlin justified the strike as a retaliatory measure against Ukraine’s recent missile attacks on Russian territory. These attacks involved missiles supplied by the United States and the United Kingdom. President Joe Biden‘s administration had recently permitted Ukraine to conduct long-range strikes within Russia, contributing to rising tensions between the nations.

According to the Pentagon, the U.S. was notified of the missile launch via nuclear risk reduction channels. The Oreshnik missile, described as nuclear-capable, is reportedly based on the «RS-26 Rubezh» intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Notably, there had been no prior public disclosure of this missile before the recent events.

Military expert Viktor Baranets, writing for Komsomolskaya Pravda, suggested the missile could be equipped with three to six warheads. Echoing this, Igor Korotchenko, editor of the Moscow-based National Defence journal, informed the TASS state news agency that the Oreshnik displayed in video footage possessed multiple independently guided warheads.

In a television broadcast, President Putin remarked that the missile had been used in a combat test under «non-nuclear hypersonic» conditions, successfully hitting its target. He emphasized that existing air defense systems cannot intercept the Oreshnik, highlighting its capabilities by saying, «As of today, there are no means of counteracting such a weapon.»

Meanwhile, Ukraine accused Russia of using an intercontinental ballistic missile, along with numerous other missiles, in the attack on Dnipro. Local sources reported that the assault targeted infrastructure and resulted in injuries to two civilians.

In response to these developments, NATO has scheduled an emergency meeting with Ukraine at its headquarters in Brussels. A NATO source confirmed this gathering, which has been requested by Kyiv, though specific discussion points remain undisclosed. The meeting aims to address the situation following Moscow’s missile launch.