In a nationwide address on Thursday, Russian leader Vladimir Putin confirmed that Russia had used a new, experimental "hypersonic" medium range non-nuclear ballistic missile named "Oreshnik" ("Hazel") in the attack on Dnipro in response to Ukraine's launching of six U.S.-made ATACMS missiles at Russia.
Ukraine, echoed by U.S. corporate media, said on Nov. 21 that Russia had launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) designed to carry nuclear warheads against its territory.
However, Ukraine's European allies did not confirm Kyiv's initial assessments that such a weapon had been fired, according to an AFP report.
A U.S. official, who asked not to be named, said Russia's strike on Ukraine was not an ICBM, but an "experimental" medium-range ballistic missile, according to the report.
In London, a spokesman for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told reporters Russia's strike on Ukraine was a "ballistic missile" with "a range of several thousand kilometres", the first time Moscow had used such a weapon in the war.
Putin said Russia is within its rights to use ballistic missiles against “Ukraine's military targets” and to use weapons against military facilities of those countries that have authorized the use of their weapons against Russia.
Ukraine launched the U.S.-made missiles on Tuesday, days after Joe Biden gave Volodymyr Zelensky the green light to use the U.S. weapons to hit targets inside Russia. Biden did not seek congressional approval.
Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie pointed out in a post to Telegram: "Watch 2007 video of Senator Joe Biden clarifying that 2024 President Joe Biden has committed an impeachable offense by authorizing U.S. supplied and targeted missiles to attack the sovereign country of Russia."
🚨Impeachment COMMS:
Resurfaced video from 2007 of Senator Joe Biden clarifying that 2024 President Joe Biden has committed an impeachable offense by authorizing US supplied and targeted missiles to attack the sovereign country of Russia. Credit: thomasmassie Yes, Joe should… pic.twitter.com/UzWslH78Bn — WayneTech SPFX®️ (@WayneTechSPFX) November 20, 2024
According to Putin, Russia retaliated on Nov. 21 with a combined strike against a Ukrainian defense industry facility. In addition, “a field test was conducted in combat conditions” for one of Russia's newest medium-range weapon systems: a nuclear-free hypersonic ballistic missile. “Our engineers named it 'Oreshnik' [‘Hazel’],” Putin declared.
Reports say that, in all likelihood, the missile strike in question was carried out by Russia against Ukraine’s Pivdennyi Machine-Building Plant (Pivdenmash). The Dnipro-based defense enterprise produces rocket and space equipment.
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