Russia on Sunday (May 24) launched what Ukrainian officials said was a nuclear-capable hypersonic Oreshnik missile in one of its largest aerial barrages on Kyiv since the war began.
It is the third reported use of the intermediate-range ballistic missile in Ukraine since 2024, underscoring Moscow’s growing willingness to deploy its most powerful experimental weapons in the conflict.
While Russia has used an assortment of missiles throughout its more than four-year war, military analysts said none have the same range, speed and destructive potential as the Oreshnik.
Here’s what we know about the weapon, and why it is significant.
What is the Oreshnik?
The Oreshnik, named after the Russian word for hazel tree, is an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), meaning it can strike targets roughly 3,000km to 5,500km away. This puts all of Europe within range.
Ukrainian military officials said in 2024 that the missile can reach speeds of up to Mach 11 (about 13,580kmh), or 11 times the speed of sound.
Russian state media has claimed that the missile could take just 11 minutes to reach an air base in Poland and 17 minutes to reach NATO’s headquarters in Brussels.
According to the Kremlin, the Oreshnik is a “state-of-the-art” weapon that cannot be intercepted.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said in 2024 that the missile’s destructive elements could reach a temperature close to the surface of the sun.
“Therefore, everything in the epicentre of the explosion breaks up into fractions, into elementary particles, essentially into dust,” he said.
Most significantly, military experts said the Oreshnik could be equipped to carry nuclear warheads.
The US defence department has described Oreshnik as an “experimental” IRBM, believed to be derived from Russia’s RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile.
