New Oreshnik Missile Claims Have Mach 10 Speed, Putin: Cannot Be Intercepted By US Defense Systems In Europe

JAKARTA - President Vladimir Putin said the new missile launched by Russia into Ukraine had speeds up to Mach 10, something he considered impossible to intercept by the United States defense system in Europe.

Russia for the first time fired an 'Oreshnik' medium-range hypersonic ballistic missile on Thursday, in response to Western authorization regarding the use of long-range weapons to remotely attack Russian territory.

"After fending off Ukrainian attacks with US and UK-made missiles, Russia retaliated by carrying out attacks on defense production sites in Ukraine," President Putin said in a televised address.

He further explained that Russia attacked Yuzhmash, Ukraine's aerospace factory, with nuclear-capable hypersonic ballistic missiles, which this time only carried conventional warheads codenamed 'Oreshnik'.

"There is no way to counter the missile at this time," President Putin claims.

"Oreshnik attacks the target at a speed of Mach 10, or 2.5 to 3 kilometers per second," said President Putin.

"The modern air defense system and missile defense systems deployed by America in Europe cannot intercept such missiles. That is impossible," he said.

Kyiv initially suspected Russia fired intercontinental ballistic missiles, weapons designed for long-range nuclear attacks and have never been used in war.

However, US and NATO officials echo President Putin's description of the weapon as an intermediate-range ballistic missile, which has a shorter range of 3,0005,500 km (1,860-3,415 miles).

The Ukrainian Air Force said the missile targeted Dnipro in Ukraine in the middle and was fired from Russia's Astrakhan region, more than 700 km (435 miles) away.