This initiative is in response to Russia launching a new type of intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) called “Oreshnik” against Dnipro, east Ukraine, on Thursday.
The attack came in the wake of what appeared to be Ukraine’s first successful strike of a military target inside Russia using the US-supplied ATACMS missiles.
The IRBM missiles are only guided during the initial stages of launch, so they can be less accurate than cruise missiles, but have the advantage of reaching incredibly high speeds — sometimes more than 3,200 kilometers per hour — as they approach their targets.
“The Minister of Defense of Ukraine is already holding meetings with our partners regarding new air defense systems—precisely such systems that are capable of protecting lives from new risks,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram.
He emphasized that Russia’s testing of experimental missiles constitutes an international crime and criticized Moscow for escalating aggression despite global calls for peace.
Zelensky promised to share details about the missile attack on Dnipro with international media, so that the full extent is known to global audiences.
The Ukrainian leader has also stated that the deployment of an ICBM against Dnipro shows that Russian President Vladimir Putin “is using Ukraine as a testing ground”.
The comments came after Putin confirmed his country had launched its “newest missile”, an IRBM called “Oreshnik”, in an attack on Dnipro. He the attack was in response to Ukraine targeting facilities in Russian oblasts using Western-supplied long-range missiles.
NATO spokesperson Farah Dakhlallah has said Russia’s use of a purported new ballistic missile “will not change the course of the conflict, or deter NATO allies from supporting Ukraine”.
“The Russian attack on Dnipro is yet another example of Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian cities,” Dakhlallah stressed.
