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.

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

Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin announced the "successful test" of the Oreshnik medium-range missile. According to him, the Russian Federation has several more of these systems, and testing will continue.