Russia’s Oreshnik missile has once again drawn international attention after Moscow confirmed the use of the nuclear-capable weapon in overnight strikes on Ukraine, prompting sharp criticism from French President Emmanuel Macron and European Union officials.
The Oreshnik missile is an intermediate-range ballistic missile that Moscow claims can strike targets across Europe while evading modern air defense systems.
Its first known use occurred during a strike on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro in 2024. Since then, the weapon has become one of the Kremlin’s most closely monitored military systems.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has described the Oreshnik as a “next-generation” weapon capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads and traveling at hypersonic speeds.
How far can the Oreshnik travel?
Russia classifies the Oreshnik — whose name comes from the Russian word for “hazel tree” — as an intermediate-range ballistic missile, meaning it can hit targets between 3,000 and 5,500 kilometers away. Russian military officials claim it would be capable of striking targets across most of Europe.
Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has also stated that the missile has been deployed in Belarus, one of Russia’s closest allies.
Can it carry nuclear warheads?
Russian officials say the missile is capable of carrying nuclear weapons, although its first known strike in Ukraine appears to have used non-nuclear or dummy warheads. Military analysts believe the Oreshnik could eventually be equipped with nuclear payloads.
Putin has claimed that the missile’s impact generates extreme heat capable of destroying deeply protected targets. However, Ukrainian authorities stated that the first strike in Dnipro caused relatively limited visible damage.
Why is the missile difficult to intercept?
According to the Kremlin, the Oreshnik travels at around Mach 10 — approximately ten times the speed of sound. Russian officials claim this makes it nearly impossible for current air defense systems to intercept.
The Missile Threat Project of the Center for Strategic and International Studies notes that it is “not unusual” for ballistic missiles or their reentry vehicles to reach hypersonic speeds.
Where did the missile originate?
The U.S. Department of Defense has described the Oreshnik as an experimental system based on Russia’s RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile, which is road-mobile.
Putin, however, insists that it is not merely an upgraded Soviet-era system, but an entirely modern weapon developed following an order issued in 2023.
