No Way Forward for Ukraine: Russia’s Oreshnik Missile Test Sends Clear Message

Russia's test of the new 'Oreshnik' medium-range hypersonic ballistic missile in Dnepropetrovsk has countered the swirling narrative that President Putin's comments about full-scale retaliation were hollow, experts believe.

According to Major General (Retd) Prabdeep Singh Behl, Russia's use of a hypersonic IRBM was very much anticipated, in retaliation to the ATACMS and Storm Shadow missile attacks deep inside Russian territory that the West had fired.

"I categorically say the West because while the Ukrainian soldiers have launched them, they can't be fired without American authorisation and assistance," he added.

The missile that Russia used to attack a military facility in Dnepropetrovsk had a range of 5,500 km and could carry a warhead of approximately 50 tonnes. President Putin had already warned that any act of targeting Russian territory would get a massive response.

"Russia fired this IRBM at Dnepropetrovsk on Thursday in a signal to the West with the aim of signaling, telling the West that if you escalate the situation, the response would be as stated earlier," Behl pointed out.

The responsibility for the recent escalation rests on the shoulders of the Joe Biden administration and, to an extent, on Volodymyr Zelensky and not on Russia, Behl reckoned.

"Biden's decision to authorise attacks inside Russia is nothing but an act of desperation on the part of the West because the incoming US President Donald Trump has vowed to end the conflict the moment he takes office in January," the military analyst opined.

Biden and his close advisors are trying to push billions of dollars worth of armaments into Ukraine at a fast pace creating roadblocks in Trump's plans to bring an end to hostilities between the two neighboring states.

Behl emphasised that this highlights the influence, power, and pressure that the American military-industrial complex exerts on the US government. That's why it won't be an exaggeration to say that if Biden is a puppet of the US military-industrial complex, Zelensky is a puppet of the US, the strategic affairs commentator suggested.

"Russia's swift action has busted this myth that President Putin's statements about retaliation were all hollow. This precision strike by Russia would force the Western powers and Ukraine to rethink their decision to conduct attacks inside the Russian landmass," he observed.

Lt. Colonel (Retd) J.S. Sodhi opined that Russia has created history by using a hypersonic ballistic missile for the first time in Ukraine, sending a "crisp" message to the West that that either Ukraine ends the war immediately or should be prepared for massive destruction.

"The use of [new Oreshnik medium-range hypersonic ballistic missile] by Russia has further put immense pressure on Ukraine and the US that there are absolutely no chances whatsoever of Ukraine winning against Russia, and if Ukraine wants to save whatever is left of their country, it should immediately talk with Russia, irrespective of what America says, and agree to a ceasefire," he concluded.

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