IRIA News

4 minute read

Russia launched a hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile at the city of Dnipro on November 21, 2024. Moscow described the move as a response to Ukraine’s recent strikes on Russian territory using long-range advanced Western weaponry, marking a dangerous intensification of the conflict.

According to Ukraine’s air force, the missile was fired from the Astrakhan region in southern Russia and targeted critical infrastructure and industrial enterprises in Dnipro, a former Soviet-era missile production hub. Regional Governor Serhiy Lysak confirmed damage to an industrial enterprise and subsequent fires in the area, injuring two people.

In addition to the hypersonic “Oreshnik” missile, Russia fired a Kinzhal hypersonic missile and seven Kh-101 cruise missiles, six of which were intercepted by Ukrainian air defenses, according to military reports.

Initially, it was speculated that Russia used an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), a type of weapon primarily designed for nuclear strikes and rarely deployed in active conflict. However, U.S. and NATO sources clarified that the missile was not an ICBM, instead, it was a hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile ranging between 3,000 to 5,500 kilometers.

Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed the strike on a Ukrainian military facility in a televised address. He said that the strike was conducted using a newly developed medium-range hypersonic missile called Oreshnik.

Russia’s Oreshnik missile

The Oreshnik, named after the Russian word for “hazel tree,” is a new intermediate-range ballistic missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads. It was recently unveiled and has not been publicly mentioned before. According to the Pentagon, the missile is derived from the “RS-26 Rubezh” intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

Hypersonic missiles, like the Oreshnik, can travel at speeds of Mach 5 or higher which is five times the speed of sound, and can maneuver mid-flight, making them more difficult to detect and intercept.

The photos and video footage suggest the Oreshnik is equipped with multiple independently guided warheads. Military experts believe that the missile could be equipped with three to six warheads.

Putin warned that similar attacks could follow, although he assured civilians that they would be warned ahead of further strikes with such weapons. “From that moment, a regional conflict in Ukraine previously provoked by the West has acquired elements of a global character,” Putin declared during his address.

Why Russia used ballistic missile?

Putin cited Ukraine’s use of U.S.-made ATACMS missiles on November 19 and British Storm Shadow missiles on November 21 as the reason for Russia’s latest strike. The Ukrainian strikes were carried out with the explicit approval of the Biden administration, according to Putin, adding to the tensions in the 33-month-old war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned Russia’s use of the new hypersonic missile, labeling it a “clear and severe escalation.”

Zelenskyy said in his X social media post, “The world must respond. Right now, there is no strong reaction from the world. A lack of tough reactions to Russia’s actions sends a message that such behavior is acceptable.”

Zelenskyy also pointed to Russia’s recent deployment of North Korean troops as another sign of Moscow’s disregard for peace. “Thursday’s attack is yet more proof that Russia has no interest in peace,” Zelenskyy added, calling for a united global response to curb Russia’s actions.

Today, Putin admitted to taking a second step this year toward escalating and expanding this war. A new ballistic missile was used. Putin struck our city of Dnipro, one of Ukraine’s largest cities. This is a clear and severe escalation in the scale and brutality of this war—a…

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 21, 2024

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow was in “no doubt” that Washington had understood that the strike on Dnipro was a warning.

“The main 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 remain without a reaction from the Russian side,” Peskov said.

Washington was informed

According to some Pentagon sources, Russia had informed Washington of the strike shortly before it occurred. Other sources confirmed that the U.S. had briefed Ukraine and allied nations in preparation for the potential use of such a weapon.

Tensions between Russia and Ukraine have escalated sharply in recent days. Kyiv’s decision to target Russian territory with Western weapons follows the lifting of restrictions by the U.S. and U.K., which had previously discouraged such actions.

The deployment of North Korean troops to Russian territory is also fueling geopolitical instability. Washington insiders revealed that this move influenced President Joe Biden’s decision to authorize Ukraine’s strikes on Russian soil.

Shortly following the missile attack, NATO announced that its representatives would hold an emergency meeting with Ukrainian officials at its headquarters. The alliance confirmed that the NATO Ukraine Council, grouping allies’ NATO ambassadors and their Ukrainian counterparts, will convene at Kyiv’s request, but did not give any detail on the topic of discussions.