Russia plans new missile test to pressure Ukraine: Reports
Russia may launch another medium-range Oreshnik ballistic missile towards Ukraine in the coming days, reports Bloomberg, citing an American official. According to the Associated Press, U.S. intelligence also confirms this information. Washington believes that such actions by the Kremlin are intended to intimidate Ukraine.
10:56 AM EST, December 11, 2024
An American official, who requested anonymity, stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin likely possesses only a small number of experimental missiles, which carry a smaller warhead than other missiles Russia has launched at Ukraine. The official added, "We assess that the Oreshnik is not a game-changer on the battlefield."
Moscow used the Oreshnik for the first time last month in response to the U.S. approval for Ukraine to use American weapons on Russian territory.
On Sunday, the American embassy in Kyiv issued a security alert for U.S. citizens in Ukraine. The alert was due "to increased threats from Russian missiles and drones targeting Ukraine's critical civilian infrastructure," it stated. At that time, there were already concerns that the Kremlin might attack Ukraine with an Oreshnik missile.
According to Russian media reports, the airspace over the Kapustin Yar proving ground—from where the Oreshnik missile was launched—will be closed from December 10 to 13.
Political scientist Vadim Denysenko, commenting for NEXTA, stated, "This may indicate preparations for an attack on downtown Kyiv." He added, "It's hard to say what's going to happen now. But if the Russians strike with the Oreshnik, it means that Putin is not yet ready for negotiations and intends to delay them."
On November 21, 2024, the Russians attacked the Ukrainian city of Dnipro for the first time with an Oreshnik missile equipped with six warheads, and the flight time from the Astrakhan region in Russia to the target was only 15 minutes.
