Putin says Russia will use new missile again in ‘combat conditions’
Russia has a stockpile of advanced new missiles “ready to be deployed,” President Vladimir Putin announced, just one day after his country launched a new ballistic missile at the Ukrainian city of Dnipro.
In a surprise televised address, Putin stated that the Oreshnik missile was untraceable and confirmed plans for further tests, including in “combat conditions.”
The deployment of the Oreshnik missile marked the culmination of a week of heightened tensions, which also saw Ukraine launch US- and UK-supplied missiles into Russian territory for the first time.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged world leaders to take decisive action, emphasizing that Putin must “feel the real consequences of his actions.” He also called on Western allies to provide upgraded air defense systems for Ukraine.
According to Interfax-Ukraine, Kyiv is seeking the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system or enhancements to its existing Patriot missile defense systems.
Putin revealed in his address that the Oreshnik hypersonic missiles travel at ten times the speed of sound, and he has ordered them to be mass-produced. He also noted that their use was a direct response to Ukraine’s deployment of Storm Shadow and Atacms missiles.
Thursday’s missile strike on Dnipro was described by witnesses as unusual, with explosions lasting for three hours. The missile was so powerful that Ukrainian officials likened it to an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
Risk advisory expert Justin Crump told the BBC that the strike likely served as a warning from Moscow, highlighting that the Oreshnik, faster and more advanced than previous Russian missiles, could pose a significant threat to Ukraine’s air defense systems.
This week’s escalation has prompted multiple warnings from international leaders about the escalating conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the war was entering a decisive stage – with a real risk of global conflict.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban meanwhile said the West should take Vladimir Putin’s warnings “at face value” because Russia “bases its policies primarily on military power”.
And North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un warned “never before” had the threat of a nuclear war been greater and accused the US of having an “aggressive and hostile” policy towards Pyongyang.
North Korea has sent thousands of troops to fight on Russia’s side and Ukrainian forces have reported clashes with them in Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops are occupying some territory.
US President Biden has said he gave Ukraine permission to use longer-range Atacms missiles against targets inside Russia as a response to Moscow’s use of North Korean troops.
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Both countries are now trying to secure a battlefield advantage before Donald Trump becomes US president in January.
Trump has vowed to end the war within hours but has not provided details as to how.
In his nightly address, Zelensky also criticised China for its response to Moscow’s new missile after China’s foreign ministry said all parties should “remain calm and exercise restraint”.
“From Russia, this is a mockery of the position of states such as China, states of the Global South, some leaders who call for restraint every time,” he said.
He also criticised the Ukrainian parliament for postponing a session on Friday over security concerns following the attack on Dnipro.
In a post on Telegram, he said unless an air raid signal sounded everyone should work as normal – and not take Russian threats as “permission to have a day off”.
“The siren sounds – we go to shelter. When there is no siren – we work and serve. There is no other way in war,” he said.
