Putin Says Russia Will Keep Testing New Hypersonic Ballistic Missile in Combat

‘We will determine the targets during further tests of our advanced missile systems based on the threats to the security of the Russian Federation,’ Putin said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with the Russian Foreign Ministry leadership in Moscow on June 14, 2024. Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP via Getty Images

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Nov. 22 that a new intermediate-range ultra-high-speed ballistic missile system, which was recently battle-tested in Ukraine, has been officially commissioned into the Russian Armed Forces and will continue to be evaluated in combat scenarios.

He made the announcement during a Nov. 22 meeting in Moscow with defense officials and missile developers, according to Russian state-run media Tass, and it comes after the Russian leader disclosed that the new “Oreshnik” hypersonic medium-range ballistic missile system was used on Nov. 21 to strike targets in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro.