Ukraine’s intelligence agency has revealed new details about the Russian hypersonic missile that struck the city of Dnipro on Thursday. According to the Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR), the missile, dubbed “Oreshnik” by Moscow, traveled for 15 minutes at speeds exceeding Mach 11 before hitting its target.
Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed on Thursday that the strike targeted a Ukrainian military facility and involved a new medium-range hypersonic ballistic missile.
HUR stated in its report: “The missile was launched from Russia’s Astrakhan region, reaching Dnipro in 15 minutes. It was equipped with six warheads, each containing six submunitions. At the final stage of its trajectory, the missile achieved speeds of over Mach 11.”
The agency suggested that the weapon might belong to Russia’s “Kedr” missile complex. Initially, Ukrainian authorities speculated that an intercontinental ballistic missile had been used, but US and NATO officials later supported Putin’s classification of the weapon as an intermediate-range ballistic missile.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry has called on the international community to respond decisively to the strike, which it sees as a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict.
In response to the attack, NATO has scheduled an emergency meeting with Ukraine at its Brussels headquarters on Tuesday. A NATO source said the meeting aims to address the implications of Moscow’s use of hypersonic missile technology.
This latest development underscores the growing sophistication of Russia’s missile capabilities and has raised concerns about their potential impact on the broader conflict. Both Kyiv and NATO are urging swift international action to counter these advanced threats.