Putin Will Continue To Test Oershnik Hypersonic Missiles In War With Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin/Obviously Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Ruussian President Press Office/TASS

JAKARTA - Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country would continue to test its new Orestnik hypersonic missile in combat. Putin claims to have supplies ready for use.

Ukraine says it is already trying to develop an air system to counter the weapon.

Putin said this the day after Russia fired a new medium-range weapon at Ukraine for the first time, a move he said was triggered by the use of US ballistic missiles and British cruise missiles by Ukraine to attack Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Kyiv was working with his Western partners to develop a system to fight a new risk.

Putin described Oreshnik's first use as a successful trial, and said more would follow.

"We will continue this trial, including in combat conditions, depending on the situation and nature of the security threats posed against Russia," he said in televised comments to defense officials and missile developers.

"In addition, we have such stock of products, such system stocks are ready to be used," continued Putin.

But a US official said the weapons used by Russia were experimental weapons. The official said Russia had a limited number of missiles and this was not an ability Russia could deploy regularly on the battlefield.

The intermediary missiles have a range of 3,000-5,500 km (1,860-3,415 miles), which allows them to strike anywhere in Europe or the western United States of Russia.

Security experts say the new feature of the Oreshnik missile is carrying many warheads capable of attacking different targets simultaneously.

Ukraine says the missile hit a top speed of more than 13,000 kilometers per hour (8,000 mph) and takes about 15 minutes to reach its target since its launch.

The missile shooting was part of a sharp increase in tensions this week as Ukraine and Russia attacked each other's territory with increasingly powerful weapons.