Understanding the Oreshnik Missile: Russias Advanced Weaponry Unveiled Against Ukraine

An intermediate-range ballistic missile, referred to as «Oreshnik,» was reportedly utilized by Russia in a nighttime attack on Ukraine. According to the Kremlin, this weapon is considered «cutting-edge» and claimed to be interception-proof.

Initiating its deployment in 2024 against the Ukrainian city of Dnipro, the missile, named after the hazel tree in Russian, was aimed at what Moscow described as «strategic targets» within Ukraine.

Russian military analysts reported that it successfully struck a significant gas depot in western Ukraine’s Lviv region.

Here are key details regarding this weapon:

Russia characterizes the Oreshnik as an intermediate-range missile, with a reach spanning from 3,000 to 5,500 kilometers (about 1,860 to 3,400 miles).

Sergei Karakayev, the commander of Russia’s Strategic Rocket Forces—which oversees its nuclear arsenal as well as its intercontinental ballistic missile initiatives—asserted that the Oreshnik could target locations «across Europe.»

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Putin, disclosed last month that the Oreshnik had been stationed in Belarus, which is adjacent to NATO’s eastern border.

Moscow swiftly revealed that the missile system had been activated for combat operations.

Ukrainian officials indicated that the missile was launched from the Kapustin Yar test site, located near Volgograd in southern Russia.

In 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the Oreshnik is equipped with «dozens of warheads, including homing warheads.»

He emphasized that the missile does not lead to widespread destruction since «there’s no nuclear warhead, meaning no nuclear fallout resulting from its usage.»

Military experts have indicated the potential for the Oreshnik to carry nuclear warheads.

Putin claimed that the missile’s destructive elements can reach temperatures comparable to those at the surface of the Sun.

«This results in everything at the explosion’s epicenter being fragmented into particles, ultimately reducing to dust,» he explained in 2024.

He also noted that the missile can target «even highly fortified sites situated at great depths.»

Following the first Oreshnik strike on Dnipro in 2024, AFP observed limited damage at the site—such as a damaged building roof and scorched trees. Ukrainian authorities reported only minor destruction, which raised suspicions that the missile may have been fitted with decoy warheads.

Witnesses described experiencing a «terrifying noise» accompanied by bright flashes of light during the attack.

Putin claimed it is «impossible» for contemporary air defenses to intercept the Oreshnik, which purportedly strikes at speeds of Mach 10, translating to approximately 2.5-3 kilometers per second.

Experts assert that while the missile can achieve hypersonic speeds, it does not have the maneuverability typical of standard hypersonic missiles.

“As with other intermediate and intercontinental ballistic missiles, its warheads re-enter the atmosphere and reach their targets at hypersonic speeds,» Marcin Andrzej Piotrowski, an analyst at the Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM), stated in 2024.

«Nevertheless, unlike hypersonic weapons, the Oreshnik’s warheads did not execute any maneuvers at hypersonic speeds, which would complicate the operation of missile defense systems,» he added following the initial attack.

Putin asserted in 2024 that the Oreshnik was «not an upgrade of an old Soviet system,» but rather a «modern, state-of-the-art» weapon.

The U.S. Department of Defense described the Oreshnik as an «experimental» missile based on the RS-26 Rubezh ICBM developed by Russia.

Karakayev noted that the missile, categorized as a «ground-based medium-range system,» was created following a directive from Putin issued in July 2023.