Russia is increasing production of its Oreshnik missile system as NATO pledges an additional $40 billion to Ukraine. The nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile is a powerful system with the capacity to travel 3,415 miles, effectively enabling Russia to strike anywhere in the West from Europe to the United States.
“Serial production of the latest Oreshnik medium-range missile system is under way,” Putin told a graduating class of military cadets in televised comments. The system became operational on November 21, 2024, and used in an attack whereby it carried multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRV) payload and six warheads that were each capable of releasing submunitions. The first use of the system involved dummy warheads that still caused destruction due to hypersonic kinetic energy. It is widely believed that the first use of the Orsenhnik system was more of a psychological move than an actual strike. In fact, Moscow notified Washington 30 minutes before deploying the missile. Moscow wanted to reveal to the world that it is ready to employ this new lethal technology.
This technology effectively intimidates the West with its long-range capabilities, although Moscow states it is only ramping up production of its mid-range missile system. Moscow needs the West and NATO to know that it has the capacity to attack if cornered. Putin has claimed that this weapon cannot be intercepted and has the capacity to evade missile defense systems. Traveling at 3 km per second, existing defense systems simply would not have the time to act. The Oreshnik can also be controlled mid-flight through aerodynamic control surfaces or gliding warheads, which masks its route. Putin has also stated that this system has the power to ruin underground targets without using nuclear payloads.
It remains to be seen whether the Oreshnik missile system is “impossible to intercept,” as Putin claims. The weight behind the increased production is a clear indicator that Russia is preparing to defend itself against NATO if needed. These weapons would benefit Russia in a global conflict and are not necessarily strategically necessary for its current battle in Ukraine.
