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

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.

Vladimir Putin test-fired the “Oreshnik”, the Russian word for hazelnut tree, for the first time in combat on Thursday against the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. He later boasted that it had been designed for a “decisive” strike on Britain – and added a chilling warning.