(MENAFN) Michael Maloof, a former senior Pentagon security analyst, told RT on Friday that neither Ukraine nor its Western allies currently have the capability to defend against Russia’s new intermediate-range Oreshnik missile. He emphasized that the missile could significantly shift the power balance in Russia’s favor amid ongoing conflicts, including the war in Ukraine.

Maloof described the hypersonic missile as “astonishing,” highlighting that no existing defense systems can intercept it at present, which dramatically changes the strategic landscape. While the U.S. is working on adapting missile defense technologies like THAAD to counter such threats, these systems are still in development and not yet operational.

He added that the Oreshnik travels at speeds exceeding 7,000 miles (11,000 km) per hour, making it virtually unstoppable. The missile has already been tested in combat, including a strike on Ukraine’s Yuzhmash military facility in Dnepr in November 2024.

Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed that the missile’s warheads reach speeds over Mach 10 and cannot be intercepted by current air defenses. The Oreshnik can carry both conventional and nuclear warheads and has a range of several thousand kilometers.

Putin said the missile strike was a response to Ukraine’s use of Western-supplied long-range missiles to target deep inside Russia. He also announced that the first mass-produced Oreshnik missile systems are now in service and hinted that Russia’s ally Belarus may receive the weapons by the end of the year.

MENAFN04082025000045015687ID1109880522