### NATO and Ukraine Convene Emergency Talks Following Russian Missile Strike

In a dramatic escalation of the ongoing conflict, NATO and Ukraine are set to conduct emergency talks on Tuesday after Russia deployed an experimental hypersonic ballistic missile against the city of Dnipro. The nearly 33-month-old war is "entering a decisive phase," warned Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk, highlighting its increasingly "dramatic dimensions."

Following the missile strike, Ukrainian authorities tightened security, prompting the cancellation of a session in Ukraine's parliament. President Vladimir Putin, through a nationally televised address, claimed the missile attack was a retaliatory measure against Kyiv's use of longer-range U.S. and British-supplied missiles capable of reaching deep into Russian territory. Putin emphasized that Western air defense systems would be ineffective against Russia's new missile, named Oreshnik.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov maintained an aggressive posture, attributing the conflict's escalation to the "reckless decisions and actions of Western countries" in arming Ukraine. Meanwhile, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, often viewed as a Kremlin ally within the European Union, suggested that U.S.-supplied weapons in Ukraine imply potential American involvement, given the sophisticated technology required to guide such missiles.

Commenting on the recent alterations to Russia's nuclear deployment doctrine, Orbán warned that these changes should not be taken lightly, indicating serious potential repercussions.

Simultaneously, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský, during a briefing with Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, condemned the missile strike as an attempt by Russia to intimidate both Ukrainians and Europeans. Lipavský expressed full support for enhancing Ukraine's air defense capabilities and ensured that the Czech Republic would place no restrictions on the use of its military aid to Ukraine.

Ukrainian lawmakers reported that the threat of further Russian missile strikes necessitated the suspension of parliamentary activities and advised limiting operations of commercial and nongovernmental entities in central Kyiv. Mykyta Poturaiev, a member of the Ukrainian parliament, confirmed that such threats are not unprecedented.

According to Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate, the Oreshnik missile, launched from Russia's Kapustin Yar 4th Missile Test Range, reached a speed of Mach 11 and impacted Dnipro after a 15-minute flight. The missile was equipped with six nonnuclear warheads, each carrying six submunitions. The Pentagon corroborated the Ukrainian report, describing the missile as an intermediate-range experimental weapon rooted in the RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile.

In another development, Russian forces used Iranian-designed Shahed drones to strike a residential area in Sumy, resulting in the deaths of two people and injuries to 13 others. The regional administration reported that the drones contained shrapnel elements, designed specifically to inflict maximum harm on individuals rather than structures.