Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Friday that the country would continue testing its new Oreshnik hypersonic missile under combat conditions, with a stockpile of the weapon ready for use.
His statement came a day after Russia deployed the missile for the first time in Ukraine, an action he described as a response to Ukraine’s use of U.S. and British ballistic and cruise missiles against Russian territory.
Putin characterized the missile’s first use as a “successful test” and said that further combat trials would follow depending on the evolving security threats facing Russia.
“We will continue these tests, including in combat conditions, depending on the situation and the nature of the security threats that are created for Russia,” Putin stated in televised remarks to defense officials and missile developers.
He emphasized that Russia already possesses a stock of Oreshnik missiles ready for operational deployment.
The U.S., however, downplayed the missile’s significance. A U.S. official described it as experimental and noted that Russia has only a limited number of these weapons, casting doubt on its ability to deploy them regularly on the battlefield.
Intermediate-range hypersonic missiles like the Oreshnik, with a range of 3,000-5,500 km (1,860-3,415 miles), are capable of reaching targets across Europe and even the western United States from Russian territory.
Meanwhile in his reaction, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia’s use of the new missile amounted to “a clear and severe escalation” in the war and called for strong worldwide condemnation. He said Ukraine was working on developing new types of air defence to counter “new risks”.
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