Russia's attack on Ukraine that used an "experimental" intermediate-range ballistic missile dubbed Oreshnik was messaging, not mass destruction. Why it matters: The Nov. 21 salvo underscored how little recourse Moscow has to Western aid — like Army Tactical Missile Systems — once deemed red lines.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says the new Oreshnik hypersonic missile used against Ukraine this week will go into serial production and is "ready to be used" again if necessary.

Hypersonic weapons like Russia’s Oreshnik missile present a formidable challenge to existing missile defense systems. However, defenses capable of intercepting them do exist.