By Lin Sen

Russian President Vladimir Putin made a statement on the evening of November 21, local time, saying that the Russian military delivered a combined strike on a facility within Ukraine's defense industrial complex on that day. The Russian armed forces also carried out tests of Russia's latest medium-range non-nuclear hypersonic missile named Oreshnik.

Initial speculation about Russia using intercontinental missiles to attack Ukraine came mainly from Ukrainian and Western media. At first, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment, stating that questions on the matter should be directed to the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation.

However, it wasn't until Putin's speech in the evening that the outside world knew what kind of weapon Russia used. The missile can hit the target at a speed of Mach 10, and currently, no anti-missile system can intercept this type of missile.

Why did Russia deploy this "trump card" at this time? The first aim is to serve as a warning to Ukraine and Western countries. Recently, Western countries have relaxed restrictions on Ukraine's use of long-range missiles. Ukrainian forces used the US-supplied Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) to strike a warehouse in the city of Karachev, causing an explosion in ammunition stored approximately 115 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, and resulting in "fire damage." Then, Ukraine used the UK-supplied Storm Shadow cruise missile for the first time to attack targets in the Russian territory.

The ATACMS has a maximum range of 300 kilometers, and it can use high-explosive or cluster warheads. It has strong mobility and can be launched by the M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) or the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). It had caused considerable trouble to the Russian military in the early stages of its use. The Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missile has a range of more than 300 kilometers and can be launched by Ukraine's Sukhoi Su-24M bomber and can also be used to strike targets inside Russian territory.

Using the Oreshnik missile, which has aroused the speculation of the outside world, to strike key targets in Ukraine at this time is obviously an escalated warning from Russia. This warning is also limited. Russia said that it had no obligation to inform the US, but the US said that it learned about the test through relevant channels. Therefore, Russia's use of the Oreshnik missile is also a warning to Western countries. If Ukraine uses long-range missiles provided by the West to cause substantial damage to Russia, Russia will probably use intercontinental missiles equipped with conventional warheads. Further escalation will lead to a nuclear test or a limited nuclear strike.

The second goal of Russia's test launch of the Oreshnik missile at this time is to test the combat performance of the new missile in an actual combat environment. The Russia-Ukraine battlefield has long been a testing ground for Russia and Western countries to test new weapons and tactics. The two hypersonic missiles Kinzhal and Zircon that Russia had previously disclosed were also tested on the Russia-Ukraine battlefield for the first time. The test launch of the Oreshnik missile this time also aims to test the combat performance and provide relevant basis for future improvements.

The third aim is to respond to the US' plans to deploy medium-range missiles in Europe. Putin emphasized that the US' withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in 2019 is a mistake. He claimed it is the US, not Russia, that has undermined the current international security framework. Russia is now developing short- and medium-range missiles to counter US plans to produce and deploy similar missiles in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. Russia's plans to deploy medium-range missiles will depend on the actions of the US and its allies.

Editor's note: Originally published on thepaper.cn, this article is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information and opinions in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.