Putin Announces Russia Will Use New Missile in ‘Combat Conditions’

Russian President Vladimir Putin has confirmed that Russia’s newly developed missiles are “ready to be used” in combat, following the country’s recent missile strike on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro.

In an unexpected television address, Putin revealed that the Oreshnik missile, which is capable of evading interception, will be tested further, including in “combat conditions.”

The launch of the Oreshnik missile marks a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict, coming after Ukraine fired US and British-made missiles into Russian territory for the first time. Putin’s remarks came just a day after the missile strike on Dnipro, which was one of several attacks during a week of heightened tensions in the war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded by urging world leaders to take strong action, calling for consequences to make Putin “feel the real effects” of his actions. Ukraine is also seeking advanced air defense systems from its Western allies, including the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system or upgrades to its existing Patriot missile defense systems, according to Interfax-Ukraine.

In his address, Putin described the Oreshnik hypersonic missile as traveling at ten times the speed of sound and ordered its production to begin. He linked the missile’s use to Ukraine’s deployment of Storm Shadow and Atacms missiles against Russian targets.

Thursday’s missile strike on Dnipro was noted for its unusual power, with Ukrainian officials comparing it to an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) due to the scale of the explosions it triggered, which lasted for several hours.

Risk advisory expert Justin Crump of Sibylline stated that Russia’s missile strike on Dnipro likely served as a warning, given the advanced nature of the Oreshnik missile, which is faster and more sophisticated than previous Russian weapons, posing a serious challenge to Ukraine’s air defense capabilities.