What Is Russia’s Oreshnik Ballistic Missile?
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The weapon used for the first time against Ukraine last week is capable of carrying nuclear weapons.
By Lara Jakes
Lara Jakes writes frequently about the weapons industry.
The dust has settled in Dnipro, Ukraine, where investigators are analyzing the wreckage at a weapons factory struck by a new Russian intermediate-range ballistic missile last week. But the debate continues over the strategic impact of the missile, known as the Oreshnik, both on the battlefield in Ukraine and what it means for NATO states in Europe.
President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia touted the missile as an example of Russian technological prowess, built by a domestic military industry unimpeded by Western economic sanctions. Experts say it appears to share many features with other missiles that Russia has developed.
The Oreshnik is also capable of carrying nuclear weapons, at a time when Moscow has increased threats of nuclear war. It is still not clear what explosives, if any, the missile delivered in the strike on Dnipro.
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Is it a new weapon?
The Pentagon says the Oreshnik is a tweak of Russia’s RS-26 Rubezh missile, an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that has been tested since 2011.