This is 'Oreshnik', the missile with which Russia attacked Ukraine

 

A new type of missile used by Russian forces to attack the Ukrainian city of Dnipro has sparked speculation and criticism. Is it really a dangerous weapon?

"The Russian side has clearly demonstrated its capabilities." This statement by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov after the use of a new missile sums up what really worries the Russian leadership.

The projectile launched on Thursday (21.11.2024) against the Ukrainian city of Dnipro should be understood as a warning and a threat. The message is aimed at Western partners who supply Ukraine with weapons for its defense.

According to Russian information, Ukrainian forces used American ATACMS missiles against the territory of the invading country for the first time, which can hit targets at a distance of up to 300 kilometers. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov then threatened to give an "appropriate" response to the launch of the American missile.

A new threat came after the Russians launched their new missile. This time, the Kremlin spokesman said: "The contours of a future response have also been clearly outlined in case our concerns are not met," Peskov told the Russian news agency Interfax.

The new Russian missile, allegedly, can also be equipped with nuclear warheads. Its launch seems to have fulfilled its objective, because the threat reached Western ears.

NATO-Ukraine Council Meeting

In response to the use of the Russian missile, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte of the Netherlands called for a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council on Tuesday, November 26. This group is a new body that met for the first time in 2023, and was created as an instance to analyze crisis cases. The new Russian missile seems to be one of those cases.

"The world must react," said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday, November 21. "For now, there is no strong response," he declared. For him, the use of the missile is an "obvious and serious increase in the scale and brutality of this war."

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called it a "terrible escalation" that shows "how dangerous this war is."

China has also spoken out on the issue. Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian called on all sides to show restraint. Both sides "should create the conditions for an early cessation of hostilities," he said.

The dangers of “Hazelnut”

What kind of missile is this that caused such a stir? “It is an experimental hypersonic missile,” is the answer. At least that is how Russian leader Vladimir Putin described it in a television appearance on Thursday evening, November 21.

There he said that Russia had “tested one of the Russian medium-range missile systems in combat conditions.” He then added that the hypersonic missile could be equipped with nuclear warheads and that its qualities made it impossible to intercept.

This missile touted as so decisive has a rather innocuous name: “Oreshnik.” Translated, it is something like “hazelnut.”

Is it really that dangerous?

It is not clear that the Oreshniks are as dangerous as the Kremlin claims. The damage they caused is said to be rather limited.

According to Dnipro authorities, the missile hit an infrastructure facility and left two civilians injured. A US government official said in Washington that this new device "is not going to be a game-changer."

And then there is the question of how new this device really is. The US Department of Defense believes that the model is based on the Russian RS-26 intercontinental ballistic missile.

Fabian Hoffmann, who researches missile technology at the University of Oslo in Norway, also does not believe that it is a truly new weapon. "I would be surprised if Russia could build such a missile without relying on 90 percent of existing developments and without cannibalizing parts of the RS-26," he said. A US official also said that Russia probably possessed only a handful of such missiles.