Russia launched a new, experimental hypersonic medium range non-nuclear ballistic missile named “Oreshnik” (Hazel) in a strike on a Ukrainian military facility in response to their recent long-range strikes with Western weapons, Russian president Vladimir Putin said in a televised address on Thursday.
“In response to the use of American and British long-range weapons, on November 21 of this year, the Russian armed forces launched a combined strike on one of the facilities of the military-industrial complex of Ukraine,” Putin said.
“In combat conditions, one of the newest Russian medium-range missile systems was tested, among other things. In this case, with a ballistic missile in a nuclear-free hypersonic equipment,” Putin said.
The president also added that Russia ‘has right’ to hit states whose weapons Ukraine uses to strike his nation.
Putin declared that Russia would issue advance warnings before strikes on other countries to allow civilians to evacuate to safety and warned that US air defense systems wouldn’t be capable of intercepting Russian missiles, reported news agency AP.
The Russian president also said Russia was “ready” for any scenario. “We have always preferred to, and now are ready to resolve all disputed questions with peaceful means but we are also ready for any development of events. If anyone doubts that, they are wrong. There will always be a response,” Putin said in a televised address.
Earlier, Ukraine said Russia fired a new kind of missile at the city of Dnipro.
The latest strike highlighted rapidly rising tensions in the past several days.
The escalation comes after Ukraine deployed US and British missiles against Russian targets this week, despite Russia’s warnings of potential escalation. The UK’s involvement in the conflict was directly acknowledged by Russia’s ambassador to Britain on Thursday.
Ukraine’s diplomatic corps called for swift international response regarding what they described as “the use by Russia of a new type of weaponry.”
The attack included a Kinzhal hypersonic missile and seven Kh-101 cruise missiles, with Ukrainian forces intercepting six of the latter, according to their air force.
The assault targeted Dnipro’s industrial facilities and essential infrastructure. While Dnipro was historically a Soviet missile production centre, Ukraine’s current military manufacturing locations remain classified.
Regional governor Serhiy Lysak reported damage to an industrial facility and fires in Dnipro, with two individuals sustaining injuries.
Come Back Alive, a prominent Ukrainian military charity, shared night-time footage showing luminous projectiles descending over Dnipro.
Russian war correspondents and an anonymous official reported Ukraine’s use of British Storm Shadow cruise missiles in Russia’s Kursk region on Wednesday.
Russia’s defence ministry reported intercepting two British Storm Shadow cruise missiles without specifying location. Britain had previously restricted Storm Shadow use to Ukrainian territory.
Ukraine also employed US ATACMS missiles within Russia on Tuesday, following President Biden’s authorisation two months before Donald Trump’s anticipated return to office. President Putin subsequently adjusted nuclear strike criteria to include broader conventional attack scenarios.