The Oreshnik ballistic missile: Almost impossible to intercept and designed by Russia for an atomic war

The Oreshnik, a medium-range (non-intercontinental) ballistic missile that flies at hypersonic speed and is designed for nuclear warfare scenarios, has been deployed again by Russia in its latest offensive against Ukraine. The missile reaches a suborbital altitude and can carry up to six warheads, either nuclear or conventional. Its high speed and the very short time frame for attack make it extremely difficult for air defense systems to intercept.

The Oreshnik is notable for its multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle (MIRV). Unlike a conventional missile that impacts with a single projectile, the Oreshnik’s body fragments in the final phase of its trajectory, releasing multiple warheads that fall simultaneously on the target. Its warheads enter the atmosphere at a higher speed than other, less modern rockets, meaning their impact could destroy underground bunkers simply through the force of the shock, without the need for a massive explosive payload.

On Thursday night, Russian forces launched the Oreshnik missile, along with 35 other missiles and 242 drones, against the Lviv province of Ukraine, which borders Poland. The weapon had previously been used in November 2024 against the Dnipropetrovsk region. Its deployment violates the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, a key agreement to limit nuclear escalation from which the United States and Russia withdrew in 2019.

Months ago, Putin explained that this next-generation hypersonic missile would be capable of reaching a speed of Mach 10, equivalent to about 12,300 kilometers per hour (7,643 mph). “One of the newest medium-range missiles has been tested under combat conditions,” the president stated at the time. However, Western intelligence — largely focused on the alliance known as the Five Eyes (FVEY) which includes the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand — points to a modification of an earlier model.

The United States said that the Oreshnik is a modified version of another Russian long-range rocket, designed to create an intermediate-range ballistic missile. “This IRBM was based on Russia’s RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile model,” said Sabrina Singh, deputy spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Defense, without providing further details.

The use of this type of weapon requires — according to existing arms control agreements between Russia and the United States — that Moscow notify Washington of its launch. The RS-26 Rubezh is a solid-fuel missile capable of reaching a maximum range of approximately 6,000 kilometers (3,730 miles). The rocket can carry conventional explosives, nuclear warheads, or Avangard hypersonic glide vehicles.

In 2018, when the Russian president unveiled six new weapons of mass destruction, four years before launching his offensive on Ukraine, Putin warned: “Not a single country has hypersonic weapons, let alone hypersonic weapons of intercontinental range.”

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas stated on Friday that the Russian bombing of Ukrainian territory the previous night, using the Oreshnik missile, is “a clear escalation against Ukraine and meant as a warning to Europe and to the U.S.,” and urged that the cost of the war for Moscow be increased with further sanctions against the country.

“Putin doesn’t want peace, Russia’s reply to diplomacy is more missiles and destruction. This deadly pattern of recurring major Russian strikes will repeat itself until we help Ukraine break it,” the EU’s foreign policy chief said in a message posted on her X account.

Moscow claims to have fired the Oreshnik missile in response to Kyiv’s alleged attack on Putin’s residence in the Novgorod region of northern Russia in December, something Ukrainian authorities called “an absurd lie” to sabotage peace negotiations.

“Such a strike close to EU and NATO border is a grave threat to security on the European continent and a test for the transatlantic community. We demand strong responses to Russia’s reckless actions,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said. “It is absurd that Russia attempts to justify this strike with the fake ‘Putin residence attack’ that never happened,” he added.

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