Russia’s nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile system has entered active service, Russia’s Ministry of Defense says, as negotiators continue to search for a breakthrough in peace talks to end Moscow’s war

The conflict in Ukraine sharpened dramatically after the United States accused Russia of a “dangerous and inexplicable escalation” at an emergency United Nations Security Council meeting, following the use of Oreshnik missiles during a major overnight assault.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that the Russian Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile system also poses a threat to Warsaw, Bucharest, Budapest and many other capitals.

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Russia’s claim that it has fired a new Oreshnik hypersonic missile in combat, and tested a nuclear-capable variant, marks a sharp escalation in the technological arms race unfolding along NATO’s eastern flank.

Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed Monday that it hit an aviation repair plant in Ukraine’s western Lviv region last week with an Oreshnik ballistic missile, marking the first time either side has publicly named the alleged target of the strike.