Russia aims to launch the "Oreshnik" intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) into mass production, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Nov. 22 during a meeting with the representatives of the Russian Defense Ministry and the national military-industrial complex.
A day prior, Putin said in an evening address that Russian forces had used the "Oreshnik" to attack the city of Dnipro in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
Ukrainian authorities have not yet provided an official report on Russia's weapon used in the recent attack. Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) suggested that this was not a new Russian design but part of Russia's Kedr missile complex that has been in development since at least 2021.
Putin denied that the Oreshnik is a modernization of old Soviet systems, as the missile is allegedly based on "the latest Russian developments." The Russian president added that there are no analogs of such weapons in the world, nor are there any means to intercept them.
"Given its striking power, especially in mass use, and combined with other high-precision long-range systems Russia also has, its use against enemy targets will be comparable to strategic weapons. Although the system is not a strategic weapon," Putin claimed.
Russian forces still have a stockpile of these missile systems ready for use, according to Putin. The Russian president also said that Russia will continue to test the Oreshnik missile, including in combat conditions.
Putin added that Russia is working on a series of medium- and short-range missiles. Several Russian systems are allegedly being tested and planned for mass production.
Little is known about the "Oreshnik" missile referred to by Putin, but military expert Yan Matveev told Russian independent media outlet IStories that it could be a modified version of the "Rubezh" IRBM.
The RS-26 "Rubezh" is reported to have a range of up to 6,000 kilometers and can carry four warheads, each with an estimated payload of 0.3 megatons.
Chris York
