Fri Nov 22 22:21:07 UTC 2024: ## Russia Tests New Hypersonic Missile in Ukraine, Raising Tensions
**Moscow, November 23, 2024** – Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Friday that Russia successfully tested its new Oreshnik hypersonic missile in combat against Ukraine. The missile, which Putin described as having multiple warheads capable of simultaneously striking different targets, was fired for the first time on Thursday. He stated that Russia has a stockpile of these missiles ready for deployment and will continue testing them in combat situations.
The Kremlin justified the missile strike as a response to Ukraine’s use of U.S. and British-supplied missiles to target Russian territory. Putin asserted that the Oreshnik, while not a strategic nuclear weapon, possesses comparable impact due to its accuracy and ability to be deployed en masse. He further claimed the missile is currently uninterceptable.
However, a U.S. official countered that the Oreshnik is an experimental weapon with limited numbers, not a routinely deployable system. The missile’s intermediate range (3,000-5,500 km) allows it to strike targets across Europe and the western United States. Ukrainian reports indicate the missile reached speeds exceeding 13,000 kph.
The missile launch significantly escalated tensions, with both sides employing increasingly powerful weapons against each other. Moscow accuses the U.S. and its allies of direct conflict by enabling Ukraine’s attacks, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned the action as a severe escalation and called for international condemnation. The Kremlin framed the launch as a warning to the West. Despite the use of conventional warheads, Putin emphasized the missile’s destructive power and the ongoing need for its serial production.
First Piper 