Oreshnik missile

The Oreshnik missile is a newly developed, nuclear-capable, hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile recently deployed by Russia. It gained prominence after being used in a massive overnight strike on Ukraine, marking only its second known deployment, the first being in November 2024. Russia claims the strike was retaliation for an alleged Ukrainian drone attack on President Putin's residence, a claim Ukraine denies. The attacks, which targeted Kyiv and Lviv near the EU border, resulted in casualties and infrastructure damage. Ukraine has condemned the use of the Oreshnik as a grave threat to European security and is urging its allies to increase pressure on Russia. The US has also denounced the missile's use as a dangerous escalation, highlighting the weapon's potential to further destabilize the region and increase international tensions.