Russia has tested new intermediate range missile in strike on Ukraine, Putin says

The Kremlin fired a new intermediate-range ballistic missile at Ukraine on Thursday in response to Kyiv’s use this week of American and British missiles capable of striking deeper into Russia, President Vladimir Putin said.

In a televised address to the country, the Russian president warned that US air defence systems would be powerless to stop the new missile, which he said flies at Mach 10 and which he called the Oreshnik – Russian for hazelnut tree. He also said it could be used to attack any Ukrainian ally whose missiles are used to attack Russia.

“We believe that we have the right to use our weapons against military facilities of the countries that allow to use their weapons against our facilities,” Putin said in his first comments since US President Joe Biden gave Ukraine the green light this month to use US ATACMS missiles to strike at limited targets inside Russia.

The attack on Thursday on the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro came in response to Kyiv’s use of longer-range US and British missiles in strikes on Russia this week, Putin said.

“In the case of escalation of aggressive actions, we will respond resolutely in a mirror way,” the Russian president said.

Putin said the Oreshnik struck a well-known missile factory in Dnipro. He also said Russia would issue advance warnings if it launches more strikes with the Oreshnik against Ukraine to allow civilians to evacuate to safety – something Moscow has not previously done.

Putin’s announcement came hours after Ukraine claimed that Russia had used an intercontinental ballistic missile in the Dnipro attack, which wounded two people and damaged an industrial facility and rehabilitation centre for people with disabilities, according to local officials. But American officials said an initial US assessment indicated the strike was carried out with an intermediate-range ballistic missile.

  

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