The West and Ukraine currently have no means to intercept Russia’s newly deployed Oreshnik hypersonic missile, a weapon that could significantly tip the balance of power in Moscow’s favor, former senior Pentagon security analyst Michael Maloof has told RT.
Maloof said the Oreshnik’s speed, range, and versatility make it a game‑changer in modern warfare.
“Having a hypersonic missile for which there’s no defense is astonishing. It completely changes the balance of power — the Ukrainians have no way to counter it,” he explained.
The analyst noted that while the US is trying to adapt systems like THAAD to engage hypersonic threats, those upgrades are still under development. In practice, he said, no operational defense exists to intercept a missile traveling at over Mach 10 — more than 7,000 miles (11,000km) per hour.
“At that speed, it can strike targets in minutes. There’s simply no defense right now,” Maloof stressed.
The Oreshnik was reportedly used in November 2024 to destroy Ukraine’s Yuzhmash military industrial complex in Dnepr. Following the strike, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the missile’s maneuverable warheads traveled at speeds exceeding Mach 10 and could carry either conventional or nuclear payloads over thousands of kilometers.
Putin described the strike as a retaliation for Ukraine’s use of Western-supplied long-range missiles against targets deep inside Russian territory.
On Friday, Putin confirmed that the first serially produced Oreshnik systems had been delivered to the Russian Armed Forces. He added that a decision on supplying the missiles to Belarus could be made before the end of 2025, potentially expanding the system’s reach even further.
Military analysts say the missile’s deployment marks a new phase in strategic deterrence, putting pressure on Western defense planning and missile shield development.