How Putin’s ‘Oreshnik’ hypersonic missile dodged Ukraine’s defences with cluster-bomb warheads – and could go NUCLEAR

RUSSIAN tyrant Vladimir Putin struck Ukraine with a hypersonic ballistic rocket yesterday - a limb that the US has warned could beryllium made nuclear.

The medium-range "Oreshnik" rocket pierced done Ukrainian defences dropping a cluster-bomb of warheads connected the metropolis of Dnipro successful an aboriginal greeting blitz connected Thursday.

It was initially described by Kyiv's Air Force arsenic the RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic rocket (ICBM) - which would person marked the archetypal clip a limb of its benignant had been utilized successful war.

But it turned retired to beryllium a terrifying caller rocket - an intermediate-range ballistic rocket (IRBM) based connected the older Rubezh exemplary - which tin question astatine 10 times the velocity of sound.

Addressing the country, Putin said they had utilized the onslaught connected Ukraine to trial Russia's "newest missile", an IRBM called "Oreshnik".

Both are portion of the aforesaid household arsenic the archetypal RS-24 Yars ICBM - a ferocious Russian weapon.

A chilling simulation video shows however these weapons would run - with an RS-24 firing disconnected aggregate warheads successful the Earth's ambiance earlier they rainfall down connected unsuspecting territory below.

The Pentagon said that portion the Oreshnik was fired with accepted warheads - Moscow could inactive modify the limb to transportation a atomic payload.

“It could beryllium refitted to surely transportation antithetic types of accepted oregon atomic warheads,” spokesperson Sabrina Singh warned.

She revealed that the determination by Russia - utilizing a never-before-fired rocket - is being viewed arsenic "experimental" successful Washington.

Embattled Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky yesterday slammed the onslaught - dubbing it a "clear and terrible escalation" by "insane" Russia.

Speaking with sickening pridefulness of his newest limb during a televised code connected Thursday, Putin said it moved astatine 10 times the velocity of sound.

Russian sources said it had a 5,000km range, meaning it could scope astir of Europe and adjacent the West Coast of the US if wanted.

Anatoly Matviychuk, a Russian subject expert, said it could transportation six to 8 accepted oregon atomic warheads.

Western quality confirmed that the limb fired by Russia was an intermediate-range ballistic rocket (IRBM) based connected the older Rubezh - not an ICBM arsenic archetypal expected.

The Times of Ukraine transmission said that an Oreshnik could deed Britain successful 20 minutes and Poland successful conscionable 12 pursuing a Russian launch.

Putin threatened yesterday to onslaught Britain - marking subject targets successful the UK arsenic valid targets successful effect to the usage of Western missiles by Ukraine.

The Kremlin aboriginal said connected their caller rocket - "Russia has demonstrated its quality to respond to Western actions by utilizing ballistic missiles."

Russia's onslaught connected Dnipro came aft Kyiv launched US ATACMS missiles against Putin's territory overnight connected Monday - and British Storm Shadow rockets connected Wednesday in a double-tap victory.

Chilling video showed rockets raining down connected the Ukrainian city - claimed to beryllium six antithetic warheads.

It was reportedly fired from the Kapustin Yar trial scope successful Russia’s Astrakhan portion and struck the Yuzhmash defence works successful Dnipro.

The Kremlin besides dispatched Tu-95MS strategical bombers to motorboat cruise missiles against embattled Ukraine.

Nato scrambled F-16 warplanes supra Poland amid the barrage - putting aerial defence and radar systems connected precocious alert.

Meanwhile a top Army main told British MPs connected Thursday evening that Britain would beryllium acceptable to combat "tonight" if Putin strikes different state successful Europe.

Lieutenant General Rob Magowan told the House of Commons defence committee: "If the British Army was asked to combat tonight, it would combat tonight.

"I don't deliberation anybody successful this country should beryllium nether immoderate illusion that if the Russians invaded Eastern Europe tonight, past we would conscionable them successful that fight."