Russia Putin wants to mass-produce medium-range missiles

Kremlin President Vladimir Putin has expressed his satisfaction with the deployment of a new medium-range missile against the Ukrainian city of Dnipro.

He praised the missile, known as Oreshnik (German: Nussstrauch), as being unique in the world and announced that it would go into series production. No one else in the world has such a weapon," said the Russian president at a meeting with senior military officers and representatives of the arms industry. The decision for series production had been made and was practically already organized.

Moscow will continue to test the missile, including in combat operations, he emphasized. He described the firing of the missile at Dnipro as a successful test.

The television pictures showed Putin visibly pleased. Oreshnik was not a modernization of Soviet technology, but testified to the technical progress of Russian engineering and the strength of the armaments sector, he said. Those involved in the construction of the missile would be awarded high medals. "The results of its use are comparable to the use of strategic weapons systems in terms of their effect and performance."

He added that the Oreshnik system is neither a strategic weapon nor a weapon of mass destruction because it can also be used in a very targeted manner. According to Moscow, the missile is supposed to fly at hypersonic speed and be unreachable by air defense systems. This information could not initially be independently confirmed. Experts assume that the missile could technically also be equipped with nuclear warheads.

New missile attack as a message to the West

Russia fired a new medium-range ballistic missile at Ukraine on Thursday. According to Russian information, it was used to attack a defense plant in Dnipro. However, Moscow had also deliberately used the launch of the missile to deter the West. The aim is to prevent the West from continuing to support Ukraine, which is under attack from Russia - especially not with long-range missiles for firing at military objects on Russian territory.

The comments made by a high-ranking general to Putin at the same meeting can therefore be understood as threats to the West and in particular to the countries on the European continent. "Based on the tasks set and the range of this weapon, it (the missile) can attack targets throughout the territory of Europe, which distinguishes it favorably from other types of high-precision, long-range weapons," said the head of Russia's Strategic Missile Forces, Sergei Karakayev.

Selensky accuses Putin of new war crimes

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Putin of new war crimes. If someone is firing at other countries, not just to terrorize them, but to test new missiles for further terror, then this is most certainly a war crime, Selensky argued in his evening video address.

Russia's behavior is also an affront to China and the countries of the Global South, which are calling for moderation, Selensky complained. Once again, he called for a strong reaction from the international community.

The Kremlin itself accuses Kiev and the West of escalation and sees the deployment of the new missile as a response to the shelling of Russian territory with long-range Western weapons by Ukraine.

Ukraine wants new anti-aircraft weapons

Selensky also appealed to his own countrymen and the foreign diplomats working in Kiev. Ukraine is working on strengthening its air defenses. Nevertheless, every air alert must be taken seriously and cover must be sought in the event of danger. At the same time, the potential danger of a Russian missile attack should not be used as an excuse to take time off, said Selenskyj, also referring to the partially closed embassies in the country.

It had previously become known that Kiev wants to negotiate with Washington about the delivery of new air defense systems: "Ukraine does not have the means to shoot down intercontinental missiles, but the Americans do," an unnamed representative of the armed forces told the state news agency Ukrinform in Kiev.

"Ukraine will turn to the United States for the delivery of such weapons," he said. Modernized versions of the Patriot air defence system and the Aegis Ashore missile defence system were mentioned. The USA has maintained such Aegis defense shields in Romania since 2016 and in Poland since a few days ago. They are supposedly directed against possible Iranian attacks, but Moscow also sees them as a defense against its missiles.

EU Parliament President calls for Taurus weapons aid for Kiev

In view of Russia's intensified attacks in Ukraine, EU Parliament President Roberta Metsola is in favor of the rapid delivery of German Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine. When asked whether the EU states - like the USA - should also allow the use of long-range missiles against targets in Russia and whether Germany should also supply the Taurus weapon system, Metsola replied to the Funke Mediengruppe newspaper: "Yes, that is also the position of the EU Parliament. There is broad support for this demand. We will see whether there is a corresponding change of course after the parliamentary elections."

Perhaps there could be such a change of course before then, Metsola added, because "there are also different positions on the Taurus delivery in the Berlin coalition". Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has long been opposed to a Taurus delivery. He fears that this could directly involve Germany in the war between Russia and Ukraine. The FDP and the Greens, on the other hand, are in favor of supplying the weapons system to Ukraine.

SDA