The Pentagon says the Oreshnik is a tweak of Russia’s RS-26 Rubezh missile, an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that has been tested since 2011.

Russia named the missile the Oreshnik, or hazel tree, and said it is impossible to intercept it with air defenses.

Two days ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a change in the country's policy for employing nuclear weapons in conflict. Then, on Thursday, Russia attacked the Ukrainian city of Dnipro with a new type of ballistic missile capable of one day delivering multiple nuclear warheads to distant targets with little warning.

NATO members on Tuesday reaffirmed their support for Ukraine during talks with the country's officials held in response to Russia's launch of an experimental intermediate-range ballistic missile last week.

Russia’s new ballistic missile flies on a high arc out of Earth’s atmosphere and releases multiple high-speed projectiles, making it challenging but not impossible to intercept

Russia said it was planning a response after Ukraine's armed forces hit a military and civilian airfield in the Kursk region with U.S.-supplied, long-range ATCMS missiles. The Russian defense ministry said Ukraine's latest ATCMS strikes,

Russia continues its relentless missile bombardment and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities. While Ukrainians have successfully intercepted many drones and cruise missiles, ballistic missiles still pose a significant threat to vital targets.