Putin's "new" missile may just be a bluff to scare the West

Vladimir Putin stated that Russia employed the new medium-range missile "Oreshnik" in the attack on the Dnieper. Defense Express suggests this might be an attempt to intimidate the West and reduce support for Ukraine. However, the absence of any information about this missile in available sources raises doubts about its existence.

According to reports, Russia has a tendency to create fictional weapon projects. Defense Express claims such actions may serve to conceal actual ballistic projects. For example, Russia previously used the term "Project 504" for the Kh-101 missiles. "Oreshnik" might, therefore, be merely a working name for the already known RS-26 "Rubezh" project.

This implies that "the Kremlin may use the name »Oreshnik« to give the impression of having new missile capabilities, which aims to intimidate the West." In the context of strategic uncertainty, Defense Express suggests not to get drawn into this game and to avoid using this name to prevent empowering Russian intimidation tactics.

Let us recall that the Pentagon confirmed that Russia "launched an experimental medium-range ballistic missile." According to the Americans, the missile was supposedly developed based on the Russian version of the intercontinental ballistic missile RS-26 "Rubezh."

If "Oreshnik" is a new weapon (developed based on the RS-26), its parameters are unknown. There are no public documents related to this missile's specifications.

Difficulties in determining the key parameters also apply to the mentioned RS-26 "Rubezh" missile. This is because the Russians effectively hide a lot of information about it. Analysts have stated that among the most reliable information is that the launch mass of the RS-26 is estimated to be between 88,000 and 110,000 pounds, notes Defense Express. The range of this Russian missile is said to reach up to 3,700 miles, with the equipment typically including four separate warheads, each with a power of 0.3 megatons.