Russia Unleashes Oreshnik Hypersonic Missile on Ukraine, Escalating War

• Russia fired an Oreshnik hypersonic missile at Ukraine, escalating the nearly three-year-long conflict.
• The strike was claimed as retaliation for an alleged Ukrainian drone attack on President Putin's residence in Novgorod, which Ukraine denies.
• The Oreshnik is an intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile capable of carrying multiple warheads, derived from the RS-26 Rubezh.
• Putin claims the missile is impossible to intercept and its conventional payload has destructive power comparable to a nuclear weapon.
• The attack targeted Ukraine's Lviv region, near NATO member Poland, prompting Kyiv to call it a "global threat" requiring international response.

Why It Matters: Russia's use of the Oreshnik hypersonic missile marks a dangerous escalation in the Ukraine war.