Russian military says new missile can hit targets across Europe

The Russian military says that the new medium-range missile it fired at the Ukrainian city of Dnipro can hit targets across Europe.

“Based on the tasks set and the range of this weapon, it can attack targets throughout Europe, which sets it apart from other types of long-range high-precision weapons,” the head of Russia’s strategic missile forces, Sergei Karakayev, said at a meeting with President Vladimir Putin, according to Russian news agency reports on Friday.

The intermediate-range missile system labelled Oreshnik, meaning hazel tree in Russian, can be equipped with both conventional and nuclear warheads, the high-ranking general said.

According to the general, the missile cannot be stopped by anti-aircraft defences.

Earlier, in a speech to military and defence officials, Putin had declared that the new missile was to be mass-produced.

The Kremlin on Friday said that Russia’s launch of the experimental ballistic missile against Ukraine should be understood as a warning to the West.