As we wrote in November 2024, the Russians used the Oreshnik intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time during the invasion of Ukraine. The missile was most likely fired from the Kapustin Yar training ground in the Astrakhan Oblast towards the city of Dnieper. One of the targets of the attack was the Yuzhmash plant, which produces, among others, rockets, satellites and rocket engines.
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What technologies were found in the Oreshnik missile wreckage?
What is the use of the Oreshnik missile?
From which training ground was Oresznik launched?
How many independently guided warheads can the Oreshnik missile have?
Oreshnik built from parts remembering Yuri Gagarin
Now the American television station CNN has published new footage of the remains of this missile and, together with experts, analyzed the remains that remained after its detonation.
Vladimir Putin claimed that it was one of the most modern types of weapons. However, analysis of the missile debris revealed that the missile's design is largely based on Soviet-era technology. An analog mechanical gyroscope was found in the inertial navigation system, similar to those that flew with Yuri Gagarin into space in the 1960s. Some parts had 2018 production markings, but most were older, analog technology.
What is this Russian weapon – Oreshnik?
Oreshnik is a medium-range ballistic missile. Current use indicates a range from 960 km to 1.6 thousand. km. Its characteristic feature is the ability to separate multiple independently guided warheads from the main missile. There can be up to six of them, and each can contain from four to six charges. They separate from the missile while flying at hypersonic speeds; each can be directed at a specific target, allowing one missile to carry out a larger attack.
