Russia's strike with new ballistic missile was political signal - Estonian MoD
Photo: Russia's strike with a new ballistic missile was a political signal (kremlin.ru)
Russia's strike on Ukraine with the new ballistic missile Kedr can be seen as a political signal, as the Russian forces have started using an entirely different weapons system, reports Gert Kaju, head of the combat readiness department at the Estonian Ministry of Defense.
Kaju reminded that Russia claimed the strike with the new missile was a response to Ukraine's use of Western Storm Shadow and ATACMS missiles against targets on Russian territory.
He emphasized that this represents "something previously unused, an entirely different weapons system."
"Whether something similar will follow remains unclear, but most likely, it is a political signal because intercontinental ballistic missiles are significantly more expensive than other weapon systems used daily," added the Estonian Ministry of Defense representative.
He also noted that overall, intense fighting continues along the entire frontline in Ukraine. The Russian forces persist in their advances despite substantial losses — sometimes amounting to one fatality for every meter of captured territory.
Russia strikes Ukraine with a new missile
On November 21, Russia launched a strike on Dnipro using a new ballistic missile. Initially, reports suggested that the Russian army had deployed an intercontinental ballistic missile.
Later, however, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that Russia had used the Oreshnik medium-range missile system against Ukraine, marking its first test.
The Pentagon revealed that the Oreshnik medium-range ballistic missile was developed based on the design of the RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental missile.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's Defense Intelligence clarified today that the strike on Dnipro was carried out using the Kedr missile system. The missile's flight time from the Astrakhan region to its target was 15 minutes.
Reports indicate that the new Russian missile carried six warheads, each containing six submunitions. On the final leg of its trajectory, the missile’s speed exceeded Mach 11.
