India, Jan. 12 -- Russia launched an Oreshnik ballistic missile into western Ukraine overnight, striking near the NATO border in what Western officials call a deliberate warning to the West. Targeting the city of Lviv, which is only a few hours away from Poland, the second-ever use of this cutting-edge, nuclear-capable missile represents a risky escalation in the conflict.

The Oreshnik is a Russian medium-to-intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) capable of carrying nuclear or conventional payloads. Its use indicates an operational range between 600 to over 3,000 miles. A key feature is its Multiple Independently-targetable Reentry Vehicle (MIRV) system, which lets a single missile release up to six separate warheads, each able to h...