Russian President Vladimir Putin has increased the stakes in the war by confirming the launch of a new hypersonic missile called Oreshnik. He said this missile was aimed at a defense facility in Ukraine’s Dnipro city. According to Putin, it was a retaliatory step against Ukraine for using U.S. and British missiles to attack areas deep into the Russian territory.
The ‘Oreshnik’ Hypersonic Missile: What We Know
Putin stated that the Oreshnik missile was a hypersonic ballistic rocket, designed to reach 10 Mach numbers – ten times the speed of sound – and therefore incapable of interception. The Russian leader said the range of the missile 5,000 kilometers, meaning that Russia can hit most of Europe and even the U.S. West Coast.
Putin said that the Oreshnik is outfitted with MIRVs, meaning six to eight warheads on a single vehicle, all separately targeting different entities. This advanced weapon system could choose conventional or nuclear warheads, raising the ante for the further conflict.
Anatoly Matviychuk, a military expert, confirmed the missile’s capabilities, suggesting that the Oreshnik could already be in active service, adding to Russia’s growing arsenal of advanced weapons.
The Significance of Dnipro in the Attack
The Oreshnik missile hit a defense enterprise in the city of Dnipro, which houses Pivdenmash, or Yuzhmash to the Russians, one of the country’s biggest missile and space rocket companies. It’s an important facility because it holds a strategic place in Ukraine’s defense and missile technology development.
The RS-26 Rubezh and Its Connection
Now, while the Oreshnik might have been a relatively new missile in the Russian arsenal, analysts say it is likely based on the RS-26 Rubezh, a solid-fuel, road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that entered development in 2008. Officially, Russia’s announcement of the launch prompted the Pentagon to clarify that it had indeed been informed through nuclear risk reduction channels.
While the RS-26 Rubezh is still not officially classified as an ICBM, its range exceeds 5,500 kilometers and should, therefore, be classified as an ICBM; this comes after Russia’s withdraw from the INF treaty in 1987 between the U.S. and Russia and dated 2019, further forcing Russia and U.S. to escalate tensions over missile capabilities.
The West Resounds to Escalations
In response to the Russian missile strike, the President of Ukraine, Zelensky wrote that deploying the Oreshnik was “a clear and harsh escalation,” and urged the international community to condemn it. Putin while responding said that in involved Western countries were making this conflict a global war.
Conclusion: A New Chapter in the Ukraine Conflict
The presence of such sophisticated missile systems as Oreshnik, coupled with the build-up of tensions, makes it a very pivotal change in the war scenario. This gives such considerations a veritable nuclear and new missile technology play to the international community: whether to continue responding to such a rising globalization threat with military might or through diplomatic channels.
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