Putin Threatens Kyiv with New Ballistic Missiles

During the CSTO summit in Astana, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the readiness of new Oreshnik ballistic missiles, capable of striking 'decision-making centers' in Kyiv as retaliation for recent Ukrainian attacks. He emphasized that these hypersonic missiles, which can travel at speeds of Mach 10, are undergoing combat tests and are in serial production, asserting that Russia produces ten times more missiles than NATO. Putin claimed that the power of the Oreshnik strikes could rival nuclear weapons, although he clarified they do not cause radioactive contamination. Following a recent missile attack on Dnipro, which he characterized as a significant escalation, global leaders expressed heightened concerns about the conflict's trajectory. U.S. President Joe Biden affirmed that Ukraine is authorized to deploy longer-range ATACMS missiles in response to Russia's military actions. The ongoing developments suggest an intensifying military confrontation in the region.