US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov held a telephone conversation during which one of the central topics of discussion was Russia's use of the Oreshnik medium-range ballistic missile, Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder reported.

According to Ryder, the parties discussed the possible consequences of using this missile in the context of regional security and Ukraine's military strategy. Washington called the use of the Oreshnik a signal of increasing pressure from Russia. The US military department believes that this step is aimed at demonstrating the potential and possibility of delivering strikes using high-precision technologies.

Earlier, the UK stated that the Oreshnik ballistic missile is a modernized version of the Rubezh RS-26 system, developed by Russia before its withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. It has a range of up to 5,5 thousand kilometers and is capable of carrying warheads with high destructive power. However, Russia states that the Oreshnik missile is a fundamentally new Russian development. The use of the missile against targets in Ukraine, according to experts, demonstrates Moscow's readiness to use experimental weapons in response to the supply of Western long-range systems to Kyiv.

During the conversation, the heads of the defense departments confirmed their commitment to further strengthening cooperation. Lloyd Austin assured the Ukrainian side of the US intention to continue providing support. In addition, the need to accelerate the supply of Western weapons to protect key facilities in Ukraine was discussed.