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Ukraine in Talks With US to Get the THAAD Missile Defense System
If you’ve been following the Ukraine War for a while, then you’re well aware of the challenges Ukraine faces in fending off Russian aerial bombardment.
Russia’s seemingly indiscriminate strikes, with no regard for civilian casualties, should be considered nothing less than a terror campaign from the sky.
But in response to the recent move by Biden to allow ATACMS strikes in Russia, Putin has now escalated with a nuclear-capable MIRV strike — originally reported [wrongly] as an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) strike, Russia actually hit Dnipro last week with an Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) called the Oreshnik.
MIRV stands for Multiple Independently-Targetable Reentry Vehicle — one Oreshnik can launch up to six warheads, each targeting a different location on the descent.
This strike on Ukraine actually represents the first use of the Oreshnik IRBM by Russia.
Fun fact: Technically, Russia can’t use an ICMB without notice to the US — but an IRBM is fair game.
The 24-hour advance notification rule for ICBM strikes originates from a specific Cold War-era agreement: the 1988 Agreement on Notifications of ICBM and submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM) Launches.
