Russia, under President Vladimir Putin, recently made a sensational announcement regarding the development and deployment of hypersonic ballistic missiles. In a televised meeting with the Russian Defense Ministry, Putin said that Russia will continue testing and mass-producing the hypersonic ballistic missile it launched at Ukraine on Thursday.
The announcement marked a turning point in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and capped a dramatic week that has upended the situation on the ground. The use of the missile came after the White House authorized Ukraine to fire its long-range missiles at Russia.
According to Putin, the missile cannot be intercepted by current air defense systems and Russia will soon begin mass production of the new weapon. He said at the meeting that “there is currently no way to counter such a missile, no way to intercept it, in the world. And I will emphasize once again: we will continue testing the latest system.”
The Russian president also revealed that Russia is working on developing “several similar systems” for further testing. “Based on the test results, these weapons will also enter the production phase. That is, we are developing a whole range of medium- and short-range systems,” he added.
The statement comes a day after Russia fired the “Oreshnik” missile – which contains multiple warheads – at the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack, saying in a video posted on Telegram that “today our crazy neighbor has once again shown who he really is and how much he disregards dignity, freedom and human life in general.”
In the face of this new Russian threat, Zelensky announced that Ukraine is discussing with its allies the development of “new air defense systems.” It is crucial for Ukraine to strengthen its defense capability in response to this escalation of violence.
According to US and Western officials, the “experimental” ballistic missile launched by Russia had multiple warheads, which could be the first use of this type of weapon in war. This has generated growing concern within the international community, with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk declaring that the conflict is “entering a decisive phase.”
Recent events have also led NATO and Ukraine to schedule discussions next week to coordinate their response to this new threat. It is imperative for the international community to remain vigilant and take concrete steps to prevent an escalation of the conflict and protect regional peace.