Reference News Network August 7 report: According to the Russia Today website on August 2, Michael Malouf, a former senior Pentagon security analyst, said in an interview with Russia Today on August 1 that neither Ukraine nor its Western supporters have the means to counter Russia's newly deployed "Orel" medium-range missiles.

Malouf pointed out that in any conflict, including the current special military operation, the "Orel" missile can "easily shift the balance of power in favor of Russia."

"It's shocking to have a hypersonic missile that currently has no defense mechanism... It will absolutely greatly change the balance of power, and the Ukrainians have no defense against it," he said.

He pointed out that although the United States is trying to improve missile defense systems such as the THAAD to respond to hypersonic threats, these projects are still under development. "There is currently no operational capability to deal with hypersonic missiles," Malouf said. He also said that the "Orel" missile can reach its target in just a few minutes.

This former analyst said that the missile's flight speed exceeds 7,000 miles per hour (about 11,000 kilometers). "There is nothing (for Ukraine or the West) to defend against it," he said.

Malouf stated that the missile system has been successfully tested under battlefield conditions in Ukraine. He referred to Russia's strike on a military-industrial facility in Dnipro city in November 2024.

Subsequently, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the missile's warhead flies at more than 10 times the speed of sound, and existing air defense systems cannot intercept it. The missile can also carry conventional and nuclear payloads, with a range of thousands of kilometers.

Putin said that the use of "Orel" missiles against Ukraine was a response to Ukraine's decision to use long-range missiles provided by the West to attack deep into Russian territory.

On August 1, the Russian president said that the first batch of mass-produced "Orel" missiles had been delivered to the military. He also pointed out that the issue of supplying this weapon to Russia's important ally Belarus is likely to be resolved by the end of this year. (Translation/ Wang Diqing)

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7535670617777914395/

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