Pentagon confirms receipt of data from Russia about plans to test the "Nutshell"

Russia has notified the Pentagon that it will launch a new medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) "Oreshnik". This was announced on November 21 by Sabrina Singh, deputy spokeswoman for the US defense establishment, during a briefing that was broadcast on the Pentagon's YouTube channel.

"The U.S. had been pre-notified shortly before through the Nuclear Threat Reduction Center," Singh said.

As the Pentagon spokeswoman pointed out, the US had warned Ukraine and allies in advance about the likelihood of Russia using the missile.

According to her, the Pentagon is concerned about the missile launch, but the U.S. military does not yet have an assessment of the launch ready. She noted that against the backdrop of the Oreshnik launch, the US has not changed its approaches to its nuclear deployment and has not seen any changes in Russia's nuclear policy.

At the same time, Singh said the US was not seeking open conflict with Russia.

"We are not seeking war with Russia, but certainly you will see like-minded and like-minded [U.S.] partners coming together to support Ukraine. That's what we're going to continue to do going forward," she said.

On the same day, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Ukraine had used Western long-range weapons against the Russian state. According to him, the regional conflict has acquired elements of global character. The head of state also said that one of the newest Russian medium-range missile systems was tested in combat conditions - a ballistic missile in nuclear-free hypersonic equipment called "Oreshnik" was used.

Footage of the Russian Armed Forces striking the Yuzhmash plant in Dnepropetrovsk with the Oreshnik missile was soon published. The footage shows parts of the missile hitting the facilities, followed by bright flashes.

Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said that Russian authorities had sent the United States a notification about the use of the Oreshnik half an hour before its launch.

On November 19, the Russian military shot down five ATACMS missiles launched by the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) in the Bryansk region and damaged another. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called it a signal that the West wants to escalate the conflict.

The special operation to protect Donbass, the start of which Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on February 24, 2022, continues. The decision was taken against the backdrop of the worsening situation in the region.