For the second time since the full-scale conflict started in 2022, Russia shot an Oreshnik missile into Ukraine overnight into Friday. Kyiv and its supporters claim that the strike is intended as a signal to the West.
Ukrainian authorities reported multiple explosions and a ballistic missile attack in the western city of Lviv on Friday, however Russian defense officials did not specify where the Oreshnik struck this time. The new weapon, which can carry conventional or nuclear payloads, was first used in late November 2024 to attack a seemingly abandoned plant in Dnipro.
What is the Oreshnik?
Given that its use thus far suggests a range of 600 to 1,000 miles, it is most likely a medium-range ballistic missile. The Oreshnik fired in November 2024 was classified by US defense officials as a “intermediate-range ballistic missile,” or IRBM, indicating that they believed it may have a range of more than 3,000 miles. It is believed to have been fired from the Russian base Kapustin Yar, and its target this week is Lviv, which is roughly 900 miles away.
What is the origin of its name?
Oreshnik means “Hazel Tree” because of the way its several warheads appear when they fall to the ground in flaming light streaks. The first person shot the “Kedr,” or Cedar, according to the Ukrainians. According to US officials, it might be a simple replica or an upgrade of the 2008-developed RS-26 Rubezh missile.
The renewal of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which aims to completely outlaw IRBMs and lessen the threat of nuclear-capable missiles on the European continent, is a point of contention between the United States and Russia. In 2019, the United States officially left the agreement.
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