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.

Last week, Russia fired its new intermediate-range ballistic missiles at Ukraine and hit a factory in the central city of Dnipro, as the country puts the weapon into mass production