On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that a recent missile strike on Ukraine’s city of Dnipro marked the debut of a new “unstoppable” weapon—the nuclear-capable Oreshnik (Hazel) Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM). This development comes as tensions between Russia and the West escalate further, with Putin blaming Western nations for turning his invasion of Ukraine into what he called a “global war.”
While Ukraine initially described the strike as involving an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM)—potentially the first in history used in an actual conflict—both Western intelligence agencies and Ukraine later cast doubts on the claim. Putin clarified in a televised address that the strike involved the new IRBM, which he boasted is impervious to any current countermeasures.
Putin’s confidence was evident as he cynically offered “humanitarian” assurances, claiming Russia would publicly announce future launches in advance because “there are currently no countermeasures for this weapon.” However, experts remain skeptical of these claims, given Russia’s history of exaggerating its missile technology, including previous assertions about its “hypersonic” Kinzhal missiles, which were intercepted by U.S. Patriot defense systems in Ukraine last year.
The Oreshnik missile is said to reach speeds of Mach-10 (7,600 mph) and employ advanced maneuvering to evade interception—key features of the hypersonic missile concept, which remains largely unproven in real-world conditions.
Putin justified the strike by citing NATO’s supply of long-range missiles to Ukraine, which he claimed had turned the conflict into a global confrontation. He described the attack as a “response to the aggressive actions of NATO regarding Russia” and a reaction to Ukraine’s use of Western-supplied missiles that recently struck targets inside Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was quick to condemn the escalation, labeling Russia an “insane neighbor” for its continued attacks on Ukrainian cities. He dismissed Putin’s narrative, emphasizing that Ukraine’s use of long-range weapons is consistent with its right to self-defense under international law. “When Russian missiles hit our cities daily, and Iranian drones attack us every night, Putin is prolonging the war and mocking global efforts for peace,” Zelensky stated.
The strike and subsequent rhetoric highlight the increasing stakes in the Russia-Ukraine war, as both sides intensify their actions and rhetoric while global observers express growing concern over the conflict’s direction.
