Saturday, 23 November 2024

Russia Confirms It Hit Ukraine With New Hypersonic 'Oreshnik' Missile, Capable Of Reaching Any European Target

ZeroHedge
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A day after Russia's attack on Ukraine with what were clearly big, very fast and new intermediate-range missiles, which many outlets initially reported to be an ICBM, the Kremlin is touting that it launched a cutting-edge hypersonic missile for which there is no defensive intercept capability.

Russia says that Washington has now understood and been able to grasp Putin's warnings and red lines more clearly following the missile strike a Ukrainian defense industry facility in Dnepropetrovsk Thursday morning. The new hypersonic weapon, dubbed 'Oreshnik' is capable of delivering a nuclear warhead.

"We have no doubt that the current administration in Washington has had the opportunity to familiarize itself with this announcement and understand it," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. Putin had said the West's escalation, seen this week in authorizing Ukraine's long-range strikes on Russia with US/UK-made weapons, makes Ukraine a "global" conflict.

Illustrative file image via Unsplash

He strongly hinted that this global aspect to the war means attacks on Western targets can't be ruled out. The same day, the foreign ministry said a US missile base in Poland is a prime target.

Peskov further called Putin's message following the hypersonic attack "comprehensive, clear and logical." The Russian leader has authorized the new missile to enter mass production.

"The key message is that the reckless decisions and actions of Western countries — which produce missiles, supply them to Ukraine and subsequently take part in carrying out strikes on Russian territory — cannot go unanswered," Peskov continued.

On Friday Russian state media sources have begun publishing specs for the Oreshnik missile, claiming it flies at Mach 10, and can reach 5,500km in distance, or 3,400+ miles (as a medium-range weapon).

Russia's missile command has also informed Putin that the projectile is capable of reaching any European target...

"The unique feature of the Oreshnik missile system is that, firstly, it is a medium-range missile – it flies to a distance of 1,000 km to 5,500 km – and secondly, it is hypersonic, flying at a speed of Mach 10," a retired Russian Army colonel and military analyst, identified as Viktor Litovkin, told Sputnik.

"The West does not have missiles that fly at such a speed or hypersonic missiles at all," he continued. "Although the US has repeatedly boasted that it has such missiles, it has never demonstrated a missile flight. They appeared to show missiles that flew at a supersonic speed of 5.5 times the speed of sound or Mach 5.5. However, hypersonic speed begins at Mach 6-7."

Independent geopolitical site Moon of Alabama agrees, and calls it a huge game-changer [emphasis ZH]:

Launched from Russia the missile can reach any target in Europe in less than 20 minutes. On reentry into the atmosphere the warheads of the missile reach hypersonic speeds of 3-4 kilometer per second. There is no air defense system in the world that could stop them.

The surprising and successful demonstration of such an enormous capability is a wake-up call for European strategists.

Lulled in by neoconservative talk of western supremacy and presumed Russian inabilities the Europeans were eager to connect their fate to a proxy war against Russia. Having been defeated in the fight for the commodities of the Donbas region they have pushed for extending the reach of their weapons into Russia.

The results are now in. Europe is defenseless against new Russian weapons which can reach every political and industrial center of Europe with devastating power and with just minutes of notice.

And Putin reminded the West yesterday:

"We believe that the United States made a mistake by unilaterally destroying the INF Treaty in 2019 under a far-fetched pretext."

The United States was notified shortly in advance of the launch via nuclear risk reduction channels, which underscores the seriousness of the event.

Below is a review and paraphrasing of Putin's main points from his Thursday address and warning to the West via RT.

* * *

Deployment of the new Hypersonic Missile ‘Oreshnik’

Putin confirmed that Russia has used its latest hypersonic ballistic missile system, nicknamed ‘Oreshnik’ (Hazel in English), during a strike on a Ukrainian defense industry facility in Dnepropetrovsk on Thursday morning. The missile is part of Moscow’s new generation of medium-range weapons and reportedly travels at speeds of up to Mach 10 (2.5-3 kilometers per second).

Putin emphasized that no existing air or missile defense systems, including those deployed by the US in Europe, are capable of intercepting the Oreshnik. “There are no means of countering such weapons today,” he said, adding that the strike successfully hit one of Ukraine’s largest Soviet-era industrial complexes producing rocket technology.

The Americans are making the Ukraine conflict global

Putin accused the US and NATO of deliberately escalating the crisis by providing Kiev with long-range, high-precision weapons capable of striking Russian territory. This week, Ukraine used American-made ATACMS missiles and British Storm Shadow systems to strike targets in Russia’s Bryansk and Kursk Regions. 

Putin said these attacks demonstrate the West’s intent to transform the Ukraine conflict into a global war. He stressed that these weapons could not be used without the direct involvement of US and NATO military specialists. “This regional conflict provoked by the West has now acquired global elements,” the president declared.

US defenses helpless against Russian hypersonic weapons

Putin highlighted the strategic advantage of Moscow’s new missile technology, stating that Western defense systems, including those at US bases in Europe, are powerless to intercept them. He framed the deployment of the Oreshnik system as a response to NATO’s increasingly aggressive actions, including Washington’s withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in 2019. “Missiles like Oreshnik are our answer to NATO’s plans to deploy medium- and shorter-range missiles in Europe and the Asia-Pacific,” he said.

Americans destroyed the system of international security

The Russian president placed blame squarely on Washington for dismantling global arms control agreements and eroding international security. 

“It was not Russia but the United States that destroyed the system of international security,” Putin said, referring to the collapse of the INF Treaty and other agreements. He accused the US of clinging to its “hegemony” at the expense of global stability, stating that the Americans are “pushing the whole world toward a global conflict.”

Russia’s position on the deployment of missiles

Putin announced that while Russia has refrained from deploying medium- and shorter-range missiles globally, it would reassess this policy in response to US actions. He warned that future targets for Russia’s advanced systems would be chosen based on perceived threats to national security. As a “humanitarian” gesture, he stated that civilians in targeted areas would be warned in advance to evacuate.

A call for Peace, and a warning to the West

Despite his tough words, Putin reiterated that Russia remains open to talks, but warned of decisive retaliation against escalating aggression. “We have always preferred, and are still ready, to resolve all disputes through peaceful means,” the president said.

However, he cautioned Western leaders, particularly in Washington, to take Russia’s warnings seriously. “There will always be an answer,” to attacks on Russia, he concluded.

zh: ...hopefully Trump and Putin can broker peace before it's too late.


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