A new hypersonic missile, conflict escalation and a warning for NATO --The use of Western-made long-range missile systems in the Ukraine conflict has drastically changed its nature, the Russian leader has warned | 21 Nov 2024 | Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a televised address from the Kremlin on Thursday evening, outlining Moscow's response to recent escalations of the Ukraine conflict. He revealed that Russia had deployed a new hypersonic missile system in a strike on Ukrainian territory, criticized the United States for escalating tensions, and reiterated Moscow's willingness to engage in peace talks while blaming Washington for the conflict becoming global in nature. Putin's address comes after recent Ukrainian strikes inside Russia's pre-2014 borders using Western-made long-range missiles, which mark a significant escalation of the conflict. His comments reflect growing tensions between Russia and the NATO countries, and signal the dangers of a potential shift toward a broader confrontation. Putin confirmed that Russia has used its latest hypersonic ballistic missile system, nicknamed "Oreshnik" (Hazel in English), during a strike on a Ukrainian defense industry facility in Dnepropetrovsk on Thursday morning. The missile is part of Moscow's new generation of medium-range weapons and reportedly travels at speeds of up to Mach 10 (2.5-3 kilometers per second). Putin emphasized that no existing air or missile defense systems, including those deployed by the U.S. in Europe, are capable of intercepting the Oreshnik.