Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed yesterday that Russia had struck Ukraine with a new medium-range hypersonic ballistic missile in response to Kiev's use of US and British missiles against the territory her.
Agency Reuters explains what the new Russian missile "Oreshnik" is. ("Hazel").
What did Putin say?
Yesterday, Russia's president said the war in Ukraine was escalating into a global conflict after the United States and Britain allowed Kiev to strike deeper into Russian territory with their missiles, and warned the West that Moscow could hit back .
In direct response to Ukraine's use of American and British missiles, he said that Russia had fired an Oreshnik, one of its latest medium-range missiles, at a defense plant in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. administrative center of Dnipropetrovsk region.
In the city is located the concern for the production of space rockets "Pivdenmash", known to Russians as "Yuzhmash", which in Soviet times was one of the centers of the military rocket industry.
What is a rocket?
Putin said that "Oreshnik" is a hypersonic ballistic missile. According to him, it moves at a speed 10 times higher than that of sound (the speed of sound is equal to 1235 km/h - note ed.) and therefore cannot be intercepted. According to Russian sources, the range is 5,000 km, which allows Russia to strike most of Europe, as well as the west coast of the United States.
The new missile appears to have multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs): separate warheads carried by a ballistic missile that can hit different targets.
Anatoly Matviychuk, a Russian military expert, said it could carry six to eight conventional or nuclear warheads, and according to Yuriy Podoliaka, a prominent pro-Russian military blogger, it may already be in service.
The US Department of Defense said the missile used by Russian forces in the attack was based on the RS-26 "Rubezh" intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
The Pentagon and the White House said Washington was notified of the launch along the lines of nuclear risk mitigation.
What did Ukraine say?
Ukraine's air force said Russia fired an ICBM at the city of Dnipro, although the US stressed that this was not true, as intercontinental ballistic missiles must have a range of no less than 5,500 kilometers.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the Russian attack with a new type of ballistic missile represented a "clear and severe escalation" and called for the international community to condemn Moscow's actions.
What is RS-26 "Rubezh"?
RS-26 "Rubezh" is a solid-propellant ballistic missile that can be moved by road. It was developed in 2008.
In 2019 The United States has formally withdrawn from the landmark 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. between Moscow and Washington after they said Russia was violating the agreement, a charge the Kremlin rejected.
At the time, the United States claimed that Russia was developing a ground-based cruise missile (known in Russia as the "Novator 9M729") that was different from the RS-26 "Rubezh".