In what represents a new step toward strengthening its strike capabilities, Russia has decided to begin production of the new and advanced Oreshnik intercontinental ballistic missile to equip its Armed Forces— a weapon that has already been used in the invasion of Ukraine. The development was confirmed by Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting with military graduates.
Although the expected production volume and potential delivery timelines for the new weapon have not been specified, the president stated: “Serial production of the new Oreshnik medium-range missile system has begun. It has proven its effectiveness in combat.”
It is worth recalling that the new Russian missile had its combat debut in November of last year, when Russia responded to a series of Ukrainian long-range missile strikes (using U.S.-made ATACMS and U.K.-supplied Storm Shadow missiles) targeting facilities inside Russian territory. In particular, the Oreshnik missile was used with non-nuclear warheads against a plant belonging to the military-industrial complex in the city of Dnipro, located in eastern Ukraine.
On that occasion, the launch was confirmed not only through official Russian statements, but also by counterparts at the Pentagon. As reported on November 22, then–Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh stated that Russia had employed a new experimental intercontinental missile based on the design of the RS-26 Rubezh, which was originally identified as the likely system used in the strike. Given the nature of the weapon, Moscow even informed Washington of the launch through established Nuclear Risk Reduction channels.
Reviewing the few known characteristics of the platform, President Putin highlighted that the weapon is capable of reaching speeds of up to Mach 10, rendering it impervious to interception by the Western air defense systems supplied to Ukraine—although this claim was later questioned from the opposing side. At the time, he stated: “There are currently no means in the world to counter or intercept a missile of this type. And I emphasize once again: we will continue testing this latest system.”
It is also known—based on images released from the launch—that the missile featured Multiple Independently targetable Reentry Vehicles (MIRVs), which sparked speculation about the Oreshnik’s payload capacity. According to U.S. media reports citing the British Ministry of Defence, each missile can strike targets at ranges between 3,000 and 5,500 kilometers, placing them in the category of intermediate-range ballistic missiles.
*Images used for illustrative purposes only
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