The Russian Oreshnik missile is a medium-range ballistic missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads that Moscow claims can evade air defenses and hit targets across Europe at hypersonic speeds, Euronews reports.
The Russian Oreshnik missile is back in the spotlight, media reports say, after Moscow confirmed the use of the nuclear-capable weapon during night strikes in Ukraine.
It was noted that this has drawn sharp criticism from French President Emmanuel Macron and EU officials.
„It is a medium-range ballistic missile that Moscow claims can "is capable of hitting targets across Europe and evading modern air defense systems," the article said.
Its first known use was during a strike on the Ukrainian city of Dnieper in 2024. Since then, the weapon has become one of the Kremlin's most closely watched weapons systems.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has described the Oreshnik as the "most advanced" weapon, capable of carrying multiple warheads and traveling at hypersonic speeds.
Russia classifies the Oreshnik as an intermediate-range ballistic missile, meaning it is capable of hitting targets at a distance of 3,000 to 5,500 kilometers. The Russian military claims that it is capable of hitting targets in a significant part of Europe.
The source notes that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has stated that this missile is also deployed in Belarus.
The publication, citing statements by Russian officials, indicates that this missile is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. However, it appears that the first known strike in Ukraine used non-nuclear or mock warheads.
Military analysts believe that the Oreshnik missile could eventually be equipped with nuclear warheads.
Vladimir Putin claims that the missile generates extreme heat upon impact and is capable of destroying deeply defended targets. However, according to Ukrainian authorities, the initial strike in the Dnieper caused relatively limited visible damage.
According to the Kremlin, the Oreshnik travels at approximately Mach 10, which is approximately 10 times the speed of sound. Russian officials claim that this makes it virtually impossible for modern air defense systems to intercept it. intercepted.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies' Missile Threat Project notes that achieving hypersonic speeds by ballistic missiles or their warheads is "not uncommon."
The U.S. Department of Defense has described Oreshnik as an experimental system based on the Russian Rubezh (RS-26) intercontinental ballistic missile capable of vehicle mobility.
However, the media has noted that Putin insists that this is not simply a modernization of a Soviet design, but a fully modern weapon created under a contract issued in 2023.