Russia-Ukraine updates: Putin suspends key US-Russia nuclear treaty in speech denouncing West

In a new threat to Ukraine and its Western allies, the Russian military has readied for "combat duty" a second hypersonic missile system that President Vladimir Putin boasts can travel 27 times faster than the speed of sound, according to a report.

The Avangard strategic hypersonic system has been placed in a missile silo and switched to combat duty at the Yasnensky missile formation in the Orenburg region of Russia, near the Kazakhstan border, the Russian news agency Interfax reported, citing Russian Defense Ministry reports. It's the second hypersonic missile system Russia has placed in Orenburg

In a statement, the defense ministry said the missile system will increase the combat capabilities of Russia's Strategic Missile Forces.

In March, President Joe Biden confirmed Russia had used an the hypersonic missile system in Ukraine, saying "it's almost impossible to stop."

Russia's announcement comes just days after U.S. officials confirmed a plan is in the works to send Patriot air defense missile systems to Ukraine.

The Avangard strategic missile system has a hypersonic gliding winged warhead. In a 2018 speech, Putin called the weapon "invincible," claiming it could reach any target in the world within 30 minutes.

The U.S. is behind Russia and China in the development of a hypersonic missile system, ABC News reported. The U.S. Air Force this month successfully tested a hypersonic AGM-183A missile from a B-52H bomber off the coast of southern California -- striking a target after reaching more than five times the speed of sound.

It was the first test of a missile prototype that the Air Force hopes will become its first hypersonic missile.

While conceding Russia's hypersonic missile system is hard to defend against, a Moscow-based military analyst told ABC News Sunday that the Kremlin’s decision to put a second regiment in Orenburg is "stupid propaganda," saying Russia has plenty of other intercontinental missiles which could strike the U.S. and describing the Avangard system as "expensive" and "unnecessary."

Three people have been killed and 13 are injured from a Russian missile strike on a residential building in Kryvyi Rih in central Ukraine, according to the mayor.

Among those killed is a mom whose child is missing.

-ABC News' Will Gretsky

Following an overnight barrage of strikes from Russia into Ukraine, the White House announced that the first round of $53 million worth of energy-related equipment and technical support has arrived in Ukraine.

“It includes the kinds of equipment that they need to make emergency repairs such as relays and busbars and surge arrestors, disconnectors, circuit breakers,” White House spokesperson John Kirby told reporters Friday.

Kirby said more aid will be delivered “in coming weeks” to fulfill the full pledge.

"The United States remains committed to helping Ukraine put the put the lights back on and put the heat back on, and try to alleviate some of the suffering of the Ukrainian people that they're already experiencing in the winter months,” he said.

-ABC News’ Justin Ryan Gomez

Russia has launched another wave of missile strikes on energy infrastructure sites across Ukraine, resulting in severe power outages in large parts of the country.

There have been least three explosions in Kyiv by early Friday morning while other cities, including Kryvi Rih, Kharkiv, Dnipro and Zaporizhe, have also been targeted this morning, ABC News has learned.

According to officials in Kryvi Rih, a residential building has been hit. Details on possible casualties are still emerging.

Officials in Kharkiv say there have been at least three explosions there and reports suggest Ukraine’s second city is completely without power.

There are shortages of running water in Kyiv right now and a large part of the city is without power.

Initial information suggests Russia has fired dozens of missiles and Ukraine’s air defenses have been operating. It's likely many missiles have been shot down but some have clearly found their targets.

It's currently unclear if Russia used drones in the waves of strikes this morning.