Dmitry Medvedev, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has made a bold claim that Russia’s newly tested missile is “impossible to shoot down” with modern Western air defense systems.

This assertion has sparked concerns about the potential threats to Ukraine’s allies if the missile were equipped with nuclear warheads.

Medvedev’s statement on Telegram read, “Europe is wondering what damage the system can cause if the heads are nuclear… The answer: the damage is unacceptable; it is impossible to shoot down with modern means and we are talking about minutes.” He also warned that “bomb shelters will not help” and that Russia’s kindness in warning about launches in advance is the only hope.
Putin announced the successful test of the “Oreshnik” missile, which struck a factory in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro.

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The missile was launched with “nuclear-free hypersonic equipment,” according to Putin. However, the capabilities of the now combat-tested missile have sparked concerns about the potential threats to Ukraine’s allies if it were equipped with nuclear warheads.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky countered Medvedev’s claims, stating that the world has air defense systems capable of countering such threats. Zelensky emphasized that Russia must feel the consequences of its actions.

The launch of the hypersonic missile has already sounded alarm bells among Ukraine’s allies, with NATO reportedly convening an emergency meeting to discuss the escalation of the conflict and the potential new threats to European nations.
The employment of the Oreshnik came in apparent response to the authorization for Ukraine to employ American and British missile systems against military targets inside Russia, a long-standing request by Zelensky. Kyiv has already used U.S.-supplied Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and Franco-British Storm Shadow cruise missiles on military targets within Russia.
In his address, in which he announced the use of the Oreshnik missile, Putin said that the country would “determine the targets during further tests of our advanced missile systems based on the threats to the security of the Russian Federation.”
“We consider ourselves entitled to use our weapons against military facilities of those countries that allow to use their weapons against our facilities, and in case of an escalation of aggressive actions, we will respond decisively and in mirror-like manner,” Putin said.