What Is Russia’s Oreshnik Missile That Travels At 10X The Speed Of Sound And Has 5,500 Km Range

President Vladimir Putin confirmed Russia's launch of the Oreshnik, a hypersonic medium-range ballistic missile, in response to Ukraine's use of U.S. and British missiles against Russia. Putin stated that the escalation of the war between Ukraine and Russia was pushing the conflict towards a global scale. He warned the West that Russia could retaliate further, following Ukraine’s increased missile strikes into Russian territory. The missile strike was launched at a defence facility in Dnipro, Ukraine, which houses the missile and space rocket company Pivdenmash (Yuzhmash in Russian).

What is the Oreshnik?

The Oreshnik, named after the hazel tree, is described by Putin as a hypersonic missile that can travel at speeds of 10 times the speed of sound, rendering it undetectable by interception systems. Russian sources report that the missile has a range of 5,000 km (3,100 miles), allowing it to target most of Europe and the west coast of the U.S. The missile is said to be equipped with multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles (MIRVs), capable of striking different targets simultaneously. It is believed to carry between six and eight conventional or nuclear warheads. Experts suggest that the missile is already in service with the Russian military. The Pentagon has confirmed that the missile used in the strike is based on the RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), with the U.S. being notified through nuclear risk reduction channels.

What Did Ukraine Say?

Ukraine’s air force initially reported that Russia had fired an ICBM at Dnipro, though the US rejected this claim, noting that ICBMs are typically defined as having a range greater than 5,500 km (3,400 miles). President Volodymyr Zelensky labelled the missile strike as a "clear and severe escalation" and called for global condemnation of Russia’s actions.

What is the RS-26?

The RS-26 Rubezh is a solid-fuelled, road-mobile ballistic missile developed by Russia starting in 2008. The United States formally withdrew from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in 2019, citing Russia's violation of the agreement, which Moscow denied. At the time, the U.S. claimed Russia was developing a ground-based cruise missile (the 9M729) that was separate from the RS-26.