Russia Launches New Missiles After Western Approval To Ukraine: Observer Says Signal, NATO Is Not Afraid

Illustration of missile firing. (Twitter / @ intelligencefnt)

JAKARTA - Experts rate Russia's latest missile launch into Ukraine as a strong signal, a precaution, after Western authorization of the use of their modern weapons by Ukraine to strike deep into Russian territory, while the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is not afraid and will continue to support Kyiv.

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'.

Several military experts say the missile launch could be seen as a precaution by Moscow following Kyiv's attack on Russia with Western weapons this week.

Fabian Hoffmann, a doctoral researcher at Oslo University who specializes in missile technology and nuclear strategy, said the most significant aspect of the missile was that it carried MIRV (multiple independent targetable reentry vehicle) payloads.

Russia chose the weapon "for the purpose of signaling," he said.

"This payload is exclusively associated with nuclear-capable missiles," he added.

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.

"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.

Separately, NATO spokesman Farah Dakhlallah said Russia was trying to "terrorize" civilians and intimidate Ukrainian allies.

"Implementing this capability will not change the direction of conflict or hinder NATO allies from supporting Ukraine," said Dakhlallah.