Fri Nov 22 13:50:18 UTC 2024: ## Russia Tests New Hypersonic Missile in Ukraine, Escalating Tensions
**Brussels/Moscow** – Russia has confirmed the combat deployment of its new hypersonic, nuclear-capable intermediate-range ballistic missile, the Oreshnik, in an attack on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. President Vladimir Putin announced the successful test, claiming the missile, which travels at least five times the speed of sound and is virtually uninterceptable, struck its target. The Kremlin described the strike as a direct response to recent Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory using Western-supplied missiles.
The attack, which injured two civilians and damaged infrastructure, followed Ukraine’s first use of US-supplied Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and British Storm Shadow cruise missiles against targets within Russia. Moscow alleges six ATACMS missiles were fired on Tuesday and additional strikes occurred on Thursday. The Kremlin accuses the US and UK of direct participation in the conflict by supplying these weapons.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that the strike on Dnipro served as a warning to the West, emphasizing that Russia would not tolerate such actions without retaliation. Putin himself declared the Oreshnik, based on the RS-26 Rubezh ICBM, untouchable by current air defenses and hinted at further deployments of intermediate and shorter-range missiles depending on future Western actions.
Ukrainian authorities claim the missile was an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launched from the Kapustin Yar test range, carrying six warheads with six submunitions each, reaching speeds of up to 11 Mach. President Zelenskyy has warned of a clear escalation.
The Pentagon confirmed it was notified of the launch through nuclear risk reduction channels. NATO will hold an emergency meeting with Ukraine on Tuesday to discuss the situation. The incident marks a significant escalation in the nearly three-year-long conflict, raising concerns about the potential for further escalation and the implications for regional and global security.
First Piper 