Russia Ukraine war: Sunday's drone attacks known as Operation Spider's Web shift modern-day strategy. Step-by-step explained
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Ukraine said it secretly planted a swarm of drones in Russia and then unleashed them in a surprise attack Sunday, hitting airfields from eastern Siberia to Russia's western border. The assault set several Russian aircraft on fire, stunned the Kremlin and dealt a strategic and symbolic blow to Moscow's relentless bombing campaign in Ukraine. However, Russian officials said that there were no casualties and that some of the Ukrainian attacks had been repelled.Russia's Defense Ministry said Sunday that Ukrainian drones had attacked airfields in five regions stretching across five time zones: Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan and Amur. Several aircraft caught fire in Murmansk, near the border with Norway, and in Irkutsk, in eastern Siberia, the ministry said, adding that attacks on the three other regions had been repelled.Ukraine said that 117 drones were used in the attacks. An official in Ukraine's security services, the SBU, said dozens of aircraft were damaged in the strikes. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive intelligence operation.The plan was called Operation Spider's Web. Drones were planted across Russia, near military bases, the Ukrainians said, and then activated simultaneously. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine said on social media Sunday that planning began a year and a half ago. He called the results "absolutely brilliant." Those involved in the attack, he added, were withdrawn from Russia before it took place.On Monday, the Ukrainians offered more details about the operation. Over many months, they said, dozens of drones were secretly transported into Russia.The drones were packed onto pallets inside wooden containers with remote-controlled lids and then loaded onto trucks, an SBU statement said. Ukrainian officials said the crates were rigged to self-destruct after the drones were released. There was no indication that the truck drivers knew what they were hauling, Ukrainian officials said.Ukraine said 41 planes had been hit, or about one-third of the strategic cruise-missile carriers at Russian air bases across three time zones. Russian military bloggers said the Ukrainian damage estimates were inflated. One influential Russian military blogger, Rybar, put the number of damaged Russian aircraft at 13, including up to 12 strategic bombers.American and European security officials said that they estimated that as many as 20 Russian strategic aircraft may have been destroyed or severely damaged -- with Russia's losses including six Tu-95 and four Tu-22M long-range strategic bombers, as well as A-50 warplanes, which are used to detect air defenses and guided missiles. Ukraine has been gunning for those warplanes since the start of the war because Russia uses them to strike Ukrainian cities.The attack in Irkutsk, on the Belaya air base, was the first time that any place in Siberia had been attacked by Ukraine's drones since the war began with Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.The Olenya base in the Murmansk region is also one of Russia's key strategic airfields, hosting nuclear-capable aircraft.Ukraine has executed ambitious drone attacks on Russian territory before. In late 2022, Kyiv targeted two airfields hundreds of miles inside Russia using long-range drones. But Russia adapted, building protective structures around depots at bases, bringing in more air-defense assets and routinely repositioning its fleet. Car tires seemingly used as defensive measures are visible in satellite imagery from two bases hit.Ukraine -- which has banked on expanding the use of domestically produced drones -- turned to a new approach. The idea behind Operation Spider's Web was to transport small, first-person-view drones close enough to Russian airfields to render traditional air-defense systems useless, officials said.Although the full extent of the damage from Ukraine's strikes is unknown, the attacks showed that Kyiv was adapting and evolving in the face of a larger military with deeper resources.The Ukrainian strikes came a day before Russia and Ukraine met in Istanbul for further peace talks. Zelenskyy said Monday that the operation had showed Russia that it was also vulnerable to serious losses and "that is what will push it toward diplomacy."But analysts say the attacks are unlikely to alter the political calculus of Russia's president, Vladimir Putin. There was no indication that the attack had changed the Kremlin's belief that it holds an advantage over Ukraine, as it counts on the weakening resolve of some of Kyiv's allies and its ability to grind down outnumbered Ukrainian troops.A1. President of Ukraine is Volodymyr Zelenskyy.A2. Russian President is Vladimir Putin.
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Indian Express
a few seconds ago
- Indian Express
India stays pragmatic amid Trump's tariff blitzkrieg; US moves N-submarines closer to Russia; Canada to recognise Palestinian state
Amid Trump's tirade, India says will protect national interest, closely watches US's renewed closeness with Pakistan and trade deal with China; data shows Indian refiners had begun cutting down on Russian oil imports before Trump's announcement of tariff 'penalty'; the US calls Medvedev's statements 'foolish and inflammatory', moves two Nuclear Submarines closer to Russia; as Canada joins the UK and France in recognising the statehood of Palestine, Israel faces little restraint in its deadly attack in Gaza – here is weekly roundup of key global news. US President Donald Trump's announcements of 25 per cent tariff on India, 'penalty' for its defence and energy imports from Russia, 10 per cent BRICS tariff, and a pointed remark whether Pakistan could 'some day' sell oil to India have sparked concerns about its impact on India's GDP growth, while deepening diplomatic challenges amid the ongoing trade talks. Instead of getting dragged into a tit-for-tat response, India adopts a pragmatic approach, anchored in its longstanding strategic partnership with the US, to weather the tariff blitzkrieg. It reiterated its stance for 'a fair, balanced and mutually beneficial bilateral trade agreement', aligned with national interests and the welfare of farmers, entrepreneurs, and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). Nonetheless, Trump's pointed tirade has raised some pertinent questions: How will this affect the ongoing India-US trade talks? How can India withstand Trump's pressure tactic and safeguard its traditional red lines? In what ways could India navigate Trump's unspecified 'penalty' for its defence and energy imports from Russia? Is there room to secure a 10-20 per cent tariff differential with China? And how to look at the US's renewed closeness with Pakistan? Trump's surprise 25% tariff Trump's announcement of the 25 per cent tariff, probably layered on top of the 10 per cent baseline tariff announced in April, comes as a US delegation is expected to visit New Delhi later this month for the sixth round of trade talks. The trade deal is largely bogged down in India's red lines around agriculture and dairy sectors, primarily over concerns around genetically modified crops and dairy imports from animals fed with internal blood meal, a high-protein feed made from animal blood. The US is India's largest trade partner, accounting for around 18 per cent of its goods exports. According to economists, the elevated tariff could reduce India's GDP growth by approximately 0.2 to 0.3 percentage points, with sectors like gems and jewellery, clothing/textiles and phones likely to be hit. Trump also issued a proclamation to impose a 50 per cent universal tariff on semi-finished and derivative copper imports starting from August 1. He has already increased tariffs on steel and aluminium from 25 per cent to 50 per cent. However, India's domestic industry is likely to absorb any decline in the demand from the US – India's third-largest copper export market – given copper's status as a critical mineral and its extensive use across various sectors. Notably, now there is greater receptiveness within India's policy circles to cut tariffs on some industrial goods, and grant concessions in sectors such as public procurement and agriculture, provided these are matched by the other side, like in the case of the UK deal. India has also made preemptive economic concessions after Trump's initial tariff threats. It lowered some import duties and indicated willingness to make more defense and energy purchases from the US to manage the trade gap. Trade data shows that India's oil imports from the US jumped over 270 per cent year-on-year in the first four months of 2025. Nonetheless, Trump also threatened additional penalties on India for its membership in the BRICS, accusing the group of pursuing 'anti-American policies'. However, India has brushed off 'anti-America' rhetoric by saying that de-dollarisation is not its economic, political, or strategic policy and transactions in domestic currencies are intended to de-risk Indian trade. Experts have largely zeroed in on at least two key reasons behind Trump's impulsive policy decisions. One, Trump is testing his familiar strong-arm tactics to browbeat and bully the adversary by imposing high tariffs (as he did with China). Second, some in the Indian establishment feel that the US President has not taken very kindly to Delhi fact-checking Trump's claims on brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. In the meantime, reports of India refusing to consider F-35 fighter jets emerged. But the MEA said that India has a 'strong defence partnership with the US, which has been strengthening over the last several years. However, Trump's latest unilateral measure, subjecting India to a higher tariff than the UK (10 per cent), the European Union, Japan and Korea (15 per cent), Indonesia (19 per cent) or Vietnam (20 per cent), runs counter to the larger story of growing cooperation between the two countries. US-Pakistan reset Hours after announcing the surprise tariffs on India, Trump posted on Truth Social that the US had concluded a deal with Pakistan to develop what he described as the South Asian nation's 'massive oil reserves', and said, 'Who knows, maybe they'll be selling oil to India some day.' In a final tariff announcement on Friday (August 1), Trump gave Pakistan a rate of 19 per cent, down from the original 29 percent. The US-Pakistan reset has raised subtle red flags in Delhi. Indian diplomats point to the deep mistrust caused by Pakistan's strong defence relationship with the US, especially when it got top-of-the-line equipment including F-16 jets. Now, the trade deal with Pakistan and, more specifically, the remark that Pakistan could 'some day' sell oil to India has triggered introspection about India's expectations from the second Trump presidency. Experts argue that while India believed that Trump would rebalance US ties with India – given his predecessor Joe Biden was more favourable towards Pakistan – and stopped short of making pragmatic assessments of the situation – something that Islamabad did. Pakistan seems to have made its recaliberation early on and moved swiftly to invest in the Trump entourage, buying up support. Over the last few months, Pakistan nominated Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize for stopping the India-Pakistan military confrontation, awarded a top military honour to the US Central Command chief, and signed a deal with a US cryptocurrency company. In June, Trump hosted Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir for lunch at the White House. But it was Pakistan's outreach to the Trump family and the inner circle through investments in the cryptocurrency business that seems to have tilted the scales in its favour, Delhi feels. India watches final tariff on China While India faces the surprise tariff announcement, China, which is currently facing a 30 per cent tariff, is at an advanced stage of trade negotiations with the US. It is understood that Beijing could have a favourable tariff rate and potential waivers on secondary tariffs, including possibly the tariff on account of Russian oil imports and the proposed 10 per cent BRICS tariff. India has been pinning hope on the US to maintain a 10-20 per cent differential with China, which will help New Delhi tide over some of its structural downsides, namely infrastructural bottlenecks, logistics woes, high interest cost, the cost of doing business, corruption, etc. India is closely tracking the effective duty on Chinese products on a landed basis across US ports, particularly in commodity categories, where Indian producers are reasonably competitive, to identify potential export opportunities. However, US and Chinese officials announced no breakthrough after wrapping up two days of discussions in Stockholm on Tuesday, except Beijing saying that the two sides agreed to push for an extension of a 90-day tariff truce struck in mid-May. It is argued that in the case of the US-India trade deal, indications are that the outer time limit, currently pegged at around October from New Delhi's perspective, could be brought forward, if fresh negotiations are positive from India's point of view. Once the interim deal is clinched, if the final US headline tariff on India ends up between 10 per cent and 15 per cent, the tariff points offered to the UK and Japan, respectively, New Delhi would have reasons to be satisfied. But the advantage starts to taper off once the tariff goes over 15 per cent and inches up closer to 20 per cent, as was offered to Vietnam. A trans-shipment clause, of the kind slapped on Vietnam which levies an additional 20 per cent tariff, could be a problem for India too, given that a lot of Indian exports have inputs and intermediate goods in sectors such as pharma, engineering goods and electronics coming in from outside, including China. In a bid to put pressure on Russia to end the war in Ukraine, Trump threatened an unspecified 'penalty' for India for buying Russian oil and weapons, while slapping a secondary tariff of 100 per cent on its oil buyers. Trump said India has always purchased a significant amount of military equipment and energy products from Russia at a time when everyone wants Moscow to stop the 'killing' in Ukraine. He also registered his pet complaint that although India is America's friend, 'we have, over the years, done relatively little business with them because their (India) tariffs are far too high…' The US President went to the extent of calling the economies of India and Russia 'dead', and said, 'I don't care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care' — seen as offensive by many. Nonetheless, India rebutted Trump tirade by asserting that its 'bilateral relationships with various countries stand on their own merit and should not be seen from the prism of a third country. India and Russia have a steady and time-tested partnership.' Similarly, on buying Russian defence equipment, India asserted that the sourcing of 'defence requirements is determined solely by our national security imperatives and strategic assessments.' While India does depend on Russia for the defence supplies, much of it is because of the legacy from the Soviet Union era. Although the dependency is about 60 to 70 per cent, India has, in the past few years, steadily diversified its defence purchases from countries including the US. India's energy imports from Russia shot up following the country's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, which prompted much of the West to ban Russian crude. In the financial year 2024-25, oil imports from Russia accounted for almost 36 per cent of India's total oil imports. In the meantime, data shows Indian refiners had begun cutting down on Russian oil imports, much before Trump's announcement of tariff 'penalty'. The share of Russian crude in India's oil import basket in July contracted notably to around 33.8 per cent from June's 44.5 per cent. It may be recalled here that New Delhi stopped importing oil from Iran in mid-2019 after sanctions on the Islamic Republic by the Trump administration. As part of its latest 'maximum pressure campaign' action against Iran's energy trade and shipping network, the US this week sanctioned eight India-based companies and five Indian nationals. Frustrated with Russia's intransigence to meet his August 8 deadline to end the war in Ukraine, US President Trump ordered two nuclear submarines to be moved closer to Russia, announced tariffs on its oil buyers, and said details were being hammered out to supply Ukraine with weapons using funds from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Trump's decision to move two Nuclear Submarines closer to Russia came after what he dubbed 'foolish and inflammatory statements' from Dmitry Medvedev, former Russian President and currently deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council. Medvedev told Trump to remember 'how dangerous the fabled 'Dead Hand' can be', a reference to a secretive semi-automated Russian command system designed to launch Moscow's nuclear missiles if its leadership had been taken out in a decapitating strike by a foe. He also called Trump's threat of hitting Russia and buyers of its oil with punitive tariffs 'a game of ultimatums' and a step closer towards a war between Russia and the US, Reuters reported. On Tuesday (July 29), Trump cut short the deadline for Russia, giving it '10 days from today' to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine or be hit, along with its oil buyers (of which the biggest are China and India), with tariffs. Meanwhile, the US and NATO are also working on a novel approach to supply Ukraine with weapons using funds from NATO countries to pay for the purchase or transfer of US arms, Reuters reported citing three sources familiar with the matter. Nonetheless, Moscow appears unlikely to comply with the US deadline, and has set out its own terms for peace, which Kyiv says amount to demanding its capitulation. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday (August 1) that Moscow hoped for more peace talks with Ukraine but that the momentum of the war was in its favour, signalling no shift in his stance despite a looming sanctions deadline from Washington. During the last peace talks, Russia rejected Ukraine's offer of an unconditional ceasefire and rather demanded its capitulation to its conditions. Moscow currently controls about a fifth of Ukrainian territory and insists Kyiv must relinquish it, envisioning a permanently 'neutral' Ukraine. Kyiv, on the other hand, demands a full Russian withdrawal, alongside NATO membership. Trump deployed the familiar tactic of economic pressure even in Gaza and threatened Canada that signing a US trade deal would now be 'very hard' after Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the plan to recognise a Palestinian state. Canada's move came after France and the UK said they will recognise the Palestinian state at September's UN General Assembly meeting. However, such moves demand closer scrutiny, particularly because Israel has faced little restraint in its deadly strike in Gaza, where international experts say a 'worst-case scenario of famine' is playing out. Two historical agreements merit close attention here: the Sykes-Picot Agreement (1916) and the Balfour Declaration of (1917). The former was a secret agreement between France and Britain involving the division of territories of the Ottoman empire after WWI, while the latter laid the foundation for a 'Jewish national home' in Palestine in exchange for the support of the European Jews for Britain in WWI. It is argued that the creation of an independent State of Israel in May 1948, and its success in fending off five Arab states, meant that the Balfour Declaration's contradictory promises catalysed a conflict that continues to bring devastation to the West Asian region. Over a century later, the UK has said it would move to recognise Palestinian statehood if Israel fails to meet a set of conditions – agreeing to a ceasefire, a two-state solution, and halting its de facto annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank. However, the question remains: if Israel meets all the conditions, will the UK not recognise Palestinian statehood? It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call the chorus from parts of the West more a pressure tactic to push Israel into accepting a ceasefire than a genuine commitment to recognise the state of Palestine. Notably, 147 of 193 UN member states, including India, have formally recognised the State of Palestine. Nonetheless, amid pressure tactics and verbal assurances, the fate of more than 2 million Palestinians in Gaza hangs in the balance, with reports of Israel's continued deadly attacks, starvation deaths, and warning of 'worst-case scenario of famine'. In the meantime, US President Trump's Mideast envoy on Friday (August 1) visited a food distribution site in Gaza operated by an Israeli-backed American contractor, Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). Media reports have highlighted that aid-seeking Palestinians have been attacked nearly-daily at GHF-operated aid sites, prompting severe criticism from the UN and other Arab nations questioning the credibility of the organisation. In a report issued on Friday, the New York-based Human Rights Watch said GHF was at the heart of a 'flawed, militarised aid distribution system that has turned aid distributions into regular bloodbaths,' Reuters reported. At least 24 people, including 13 aid seekers, have been killed on Saturday (August 2) in Israeli attacks across Gaza, while two more children and an adult have died due to 'famine and malnutrition', bringing the number of deaths from starvation in the territory to 162, including 92 children, Al Jazeera reported citing the enclave's Health Ministry. Israel's war on Gaza has killed at least 60,332 people and wounded 147,643 others. An estimated 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the October 7 attack, and more than 200 were taken captive. Send your feedback and ideas to Ashiya Parveen is working as Commissioning Editor for the UPSC Section at The Indian Express. She also writes a weekly round up of global news, The World This Week. Ashiya has more than 10 years of experience in editing and writing spanning media and academics, and has both academic and journalistic publications to her credit. She has previously worked with The Pioneer and Press Trust of India (PTI). She also holds a PhD in international studies from Centre for West Asian Studies, JNU. ... Read More
India.com
a few seconds ago
- India.com
BIG twist in Russia-Ukraine war as Russia's Oreshnik hypersonic prepped for deployment; Putin threatens NATO, says missile will be deployed in...
(File) Russia-Ukraine war: In a major development that could decide the fate of the Russia-Ukraine war, Moscow has announced that its Oreshnik hypersonic missile is now ready for deployment, with Russian President Vladimir Putin stating that Russia plans to deploy the advanced missile in Belarus before the end of the year. What did Putin say? 'Preparation is going on and we will probably complete it (deployment of Oreshnik missiles) before the end of the year),' Putin said in Valaam island near St. Petersburg, with Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko by his side. The Russian president said the Oreshnik medium-range ballistic missile has officially inducted into the Russian Army and its deployment sites in Belarus have already been identified. How powerful is Russia's Oreshnik hypersonic missile? The Oreshnik hypersonic missile is a medium-range ballistic missile capable of travelling at speeds of up to Mach 10 (12348 km/h or 10 times the speed of sound), making it highly difficult to track and intercept even for the most advanced air defense systems used by Moscow's rivals, such as US' THAAD. The advanced missile can carry both conventional as well as nuclear warheads, and gives Russia the capability to target any country in Europe, even as many experts claim the new missile is just a reskinned version of Russia's own Rubezh-26 missile. Why Russia's new missile is threat for Europe? The Russian President also issued a warning to NATO countries, threatening to use the Oreshnik missile against them if the supply of long-range weapons to Ukraine is not halted. 'We are warning the West. If Kiev uses NATO-supplied missiles to attack Russia, we will respond even outside Ukraine using systems like Oreshnik,' Putin warned. Putin claimed that Russian missiles cannot be stopped by Western missile defenses, and asserted that his country has an arsenal of powerful weaponry that even their use in a conventional attack would be as devastating as a nuclear attack.
Time of India
40 minutes ago
- Time of India
After Trump sends nuclear subs near Russia, Putin responds with hypersonic threat — what Oreshnik missiles can do
Russia's new Oreshnik hypersonic missile has officially entered serial production and is set to be deployed in Belarus by the end of 2025, according to a bold announcement by President Vladimir Putin. This move signals a significant shift in Russia's military posture and heightens fears among NATO allies amid already escalating global tensions. As the Ukraine war rages into its fourth year and with Western nations boosting military support for Kyiv, Russia's hypersonic arsenal could tip the balance of power in Eastern Europe. Putin confirms Oreshnik hypersonic missile is ready for deployment In a televised address on August 1, 2025, President Vladimir Putin declared that Russia's long-awaited Oreshnik hypersonic missile is no longer just a prototype. The missile, which Russia claims can travel at speeds of Mach 10, is now officially in serial production and considered militarily operational. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category MBA Data Analytics Data Science others Artificial Intelligence MCA Degree Operations Management Finance Management Others Product Management Public Policy Healthcare healthcare Technology Design Thinking CXO Leadership Cybersecurity Digital Marketing PGDM Data Science Project Management Skills you'll gain: Analytical Skills Financial Literacy Leadership and Management Skills Strategic Thinking Duration: 24 Months Vellore Institute of Technology VIT Online MBA Starts on Aug 14, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Financial Management Team Leadership & Collaboration Financial Reporting & Analysis Advocacy Strategies for Leadership Duration: 18 Months UMass Global Master of Business Administration (MBA) Starts on May 13, 2024 Get Details ALSO READ: World War III fears grow as Trump sends nuclear submarines toward Russia — fires back at Putin crony's bold threat Putin emphasized that several missile units have already been handed over to the Strategic Missile Forces, and preparations for the missile's deployment in Belarus are underway. The announcement marks a major step in Russia's military buildup and a direct challenge to NATO, particularly as Belarus borders several alliance member states. What is the Oreshnik missile and why is it a global game-changer? The Oreshnik missile, named after the Russian word for 'hazel tree,' is a hypersonic ballistic missile derived from the RS-26 Rubezh ICBM platform. Russian officials claim the missile is capable of reaching speeds up to Mach 10 (nearly 3,400 m/s) and is able to evade most current missile defense systems due to its high speed, unpredictable trajectory, and potential to carry multiple warheads. Live Events ALSO READ: Putin's bodyguard spotted with secret anti-drone weapon — is this Russia's new shield? Unlike conventional missiles, the Oreshnik's maneuverable reentry vehicle (MaRV) allows it to shift direction mid-flight, making it nearly impossible for U.S. or NATO missile defense systems to intercept. It's designed to carry either conventional explosives or nuclear warheads, giving Russia enormous flexibility in both tactical and strategic military planning. Key specifications of Russia's Oreshnik hypersonic missile Feature Details Type Hypersonic Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) Speed Up to Mach 10 (~12,000 km/h) Range 3,400–5,500 km Warhead Conventional or nuclear (with MIRV capability) Launch Platform Road-mobile or silo-based First Use Tested in Ukraine (November 2024, non-nuclear warhead) Deployment Scheduled in Belarus by end of 2025 Hypersonic weapons shift the global military balance Putin's announcement isn't just a show of technological might—it's also a powerful geopolitical signal. Hypersonic weapons are quickly becoming one of the most sought-after military technologies in the world. With the Oreshnik entering full service, Russia joins an elite club of nations capable of deploying next-generation missile systems that can potentially bypass all existing Western defenses. Western military analysts have long warned that hypersonic missiles could undermine the balance of power, particularly if deployed in forward locations like Belarus, which is only a few hundred kilometers from major NATO capitals such as Warsaw, Vilnius, and Riga. Belarus becomes a launchpad for Russian hypersonic threats The decision to station Oreshnik missiles in Belarus—a staunch Russian ally—raises serious concerns for NATO. Belarus is located at the doorstep of the European Union and shares borders with Poland, Latvia, and Lithuania, all NATO member states. Putin confirmed that deployment sites in Belarus have already been selected, and construction work is progressing rapidly. The first missiles are expected to be in position before the end of the year, dramatically shrinking the warning time for any NATO defense systems in the region. This comes after Russia formally extended its nuclear umbrella to cover Belarus in 2024, a move that effectively treats any attack on Belarus as an attack on Russian soil. With hypersonic weapons now joining that defensive perimeter, the strategic landscape in Eastern Europe may be changed for years to come. Western experts split on the true capabilities of Oreshnik While Russia touts the Oreshnik as unstoppable and revolutionary, not all defense analysts are convinced. Some Western experts believe the missile is simply a rebranded version of older IRBM systems equipped with maneuverable glide vehicles. 'It's fast, and that makes interception hard,' says Michael Bohnert from the RAND Corporation. 'But it's also expensive, and its actual battlefield value is questionable without nuclear payloads.' Grace Mappes, a senior analyst at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), agrees, noting that while the Oreshnik adds to Russia's intimidation tools, it doesn't fundamentally change the military dynamics: 'This is more about messaging than military superiority. Russia already has missiles that can strike Europe. This just adds another layer to the threat.' Still, the psychological effect of placing hypersonic-capable missiles so close to NATO territory cannot be overstated. Even if they are not used, their presence alone could force Western leaders to recalculate their military strategies, especially in how they support Ukraine or conduct exercises near Russia's borders. Will NATO respond to the Oreshnik threat? The U.S. and NATO are now under increased pressure to upgrade their missile defense systems across Eastern Europe. Systems like the SM-3 Block IIA , SM-6 , and Israel's Arrow-3 have potential hypersonic interception capabilities, but their actual effectiveness against systems like the Oreshnik remains unproven in live combat. There are also growing calls within NATO to accelerate deployment of advanced radar systems and expand their counter-hypersonic initiatives in Poland, Romania, and the Baltic states. If Russia proceeds with full deployment in Belarus, NATO will likely need to rethink its entire missile defense posture on the alliance's eastern flank. Strategic implications of Russia's new missile era The deployment of the Oreshnik missile system marks more than just a military milestone—it signifies a strategic realignment of Eastern Europe and adds a dangerous new element to the broader conflict between Russia and the West. Here's why this matters: It reduces warning time for European capitals : Missiles launched from Belarus could reach Warsaw in under 3 minutes. It raises the risk of miscalculation : The presence of dual-capable (conventional or nuclear) weapons increases the chances of unintended escalation. It pressures NATO's cohesion : Countries closer to Russia's borders may now demand more aggressive deterrence strategies, potentially leading to political friction within the alliance. It strengthens Russia's negotiating position : Hypersonic missiles add to Putin's leverage in any future diplomatic talks involving Ukraine, NATO expansion, or sanctions relief. Is a new era of global missile warfare has begun? Russia's announcement that its Oreshnik hypersonic missile has entered full production and will soon be deployed in Belarus marks the start of a dangerous new chapter in global security. While its full impact remains to be seen, the move already poses a direct threat to NATO countries and shifts the strategic dynamics in Europe. Whether the Oreshnik proves to be a true 'game-changer' or more of a symbolic escalation, its development and deployment will likely push the U.S. and its allies into a new arms race focused on hypersonic weapons, missile defense upgrades, and renewed defense spending. For now, one thing is clear: the world has entered a new age of missile warfare, and the consequences will ripple far beyond Eastern Europe. FAQs: What is Russia's Oreshnik hypersonic missile and why is it important? It's a Mach 10 missile capable of evading NATO defenses, now being deployed in Belarus. Why is Oreshnik missile deployment in Belarus worrying NATO? It puts NATO capitals within minutes of strike range, raising fears of escalation.
