Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed the use of a new hypersonic medium-range ballistic missile, the 9M729 “Oreshnik,” in a missile strike on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. The attack, which caused injuries and damage to civilian infrastructure, marks the first reported deployment of this advanced weapon system in the conflict.
Initial reports from Ukraine claimed that an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) had been used in the attack, raising international alarm. However, military experts and subsequent statements from both Russia and the United States clarified that the missile was not an ICBM but an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM). Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesperson, noted that U.S. officials were informed 30 minutes before the launch, a routine protocol for deconfliction.
CLEAR footage shows alleged Russian ICBM strike on Ukraine’s Dnipro last night.
Multiple warheads were spotted in the footage. pic.twitter.com/H9qel6m8Dc
— Clash Report (@clashreport) November 21, 2024
Mark Cancian, a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, explained to BBC that an ICBM launch would likely trigger immediate alarms due to its typical association with nuclear payloads. He emphasized that the United States’ detection systems would have identified such a launch as a significant threat.
President Putin described the 9M729 Oreshnik as a state-of-the-art, hypersonic missile capable of traveling at Mach 10, or approximately 3 kilometers per second. With a range of up to 5,500 kilometers, the missile falls into the IRBM category and can potentially strike targets anywhere in Europe within minutes. Putin claimed the Oreshnik is highly precise and beyond the interception capabilities of any existing air defense system.
The missile, reportedly under development since the mid-2010s, is said to build upon technology that raised suspicions of INF Treaty violations during the Obama administration. These concerns eventually led to the U.S. withdrawal from the treaty in 2018. While Putin asserted that the Oreshnik is not a weapon of mass destruction, its capabilities have sparked renewed debate over the proliferation of advanced ballistic missile technology.
The strike on Dnipro targeted an industrial enterprise and a rehabilitation center for people with disabilities, injuring two individuals, according to Dnipropetrovsk Governor Serhii Lysak. Ukrainian authorities also reported that six Kh-101 cruise missiles were intercepted during the attack.
Debris from Russia’s latest hypersonic Oreshnik MRBM reportedly struck the “Yuzhmash” plant in Dnipro. pic.twitter.com/OKS2n8uPc5
— Clash Report (@clashreport) November 21, 2024
The Oreshnik was reportedly launched from the Astrakhan region of Russia, located near the Caspian Sea. Ukraine’s Air Force detected no signs of nuclear payloads or increased radiation in the affected area.
The missile strike followed Ukraine’s use of U.S. and British long-range missiles to target Russian territory earlier this week, an act that Moscow has previously warned it would consider a major escalation.
