Russia’s missile forces chief has declared that Oreshnik, which can carry conventional or nuclear warheads, has a range allowing it to reach all of Europe.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Aug. 1 that Moscow has begun production of its latest hypersonic missile, named "Oreshnik," and confirmed plans to deploy the weapon to Belarus later this year.

Kyiv blasted Russia with a barrage of drone strikes overnight, killing at least three people in retaliation for one of Moscow’s deadliest attacks of the more than three-year-old war. Drone storage sites and oil refineries bankrolling Russian strongman Vladimir Putin’s invasion into Ukraine were targeted,

The Russian air force (the VKS, Vozdushno-Kosmicheskiye Sily) is on the retreat. In recent weeks, it has pulled many of its warplanes from bases near Ukraine and redeployed them to bases farther from the border.