Military reports or credible defense analysis from organizations such as Jane's Defence or IISS

Putin Threatens to Strike Kyiv's "Decision-Making Centers" with Nuclear-Capable Hypersonic Missile

Nov 28, 2024, 08:12 PM

Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened to target "decision-making centers" in Kyiv with Russia's new hypersonic Oreshnik missile, a nuclear-capable ballistic missile, following recent attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Speaking on Thursday, Putin stated that Russia will continue "combat testing" of the experimental Oreshnik missile in Ukraine and warned that a strike involving multiple Oreshniks "would be comparable to the use of nuclear weapons." He ominously suggested that such attacks could "turn Kyiv into dust." The warning comes after Moscow launched widespread air strikes on Ukraine's energy grid, leaving over a million people without electricity. Putin's threats are in response to Ukraine's use of ATACMS missiles provided by the United States. He also claimed that serial production of the Oreshnik missile has begun.