Vladimir Putin's efforts to draw attention to the Oreshnik missile are part of the Kremlin's information campaign designed to intimidate Ukraine and the West. However, as analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) note, there is nothing new in the capabilities of this missile, and its use will not lead to escalation.
The Russian media actively covers the technical characteristics of the Oreshnik, emphasizing its range and destructive power. ISW analysts believe that such statements are aimed at influencing the psychological state of both Ukraine and its allies, trying to deter Kyiv from using Western long-range weapons against the Russian Federation.
"Even Putin's threats to strike at the "decision-making centers" in Kyiv remain empty, as Russian troops are already regularly attacking critical infrastructure in Ukraine," experts explain.
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyi, during a meeting of the Security Council of the CSTO in Kazakhstan, emphasized that behind Putin's statements about new missiles, there is only a desire to increase pressure.
"Putin wants to add thousands more to the thousands of missiles that have already been fired over Ukraine," Zelenskyi said.
American intelligence also does not see the risks of using nuclear weapons in response to strikes by the Armed Forces on the territory of the Russian Federation, as confirmed by Reuters sources.
The missile that Russia used in the attack on the Dnipro on November 21, according to Ukrainian intelligence, is only a medium-range ballistic missile. The name "Oreshnik" refers to research work, not to a new development.
"Putin's statements about Oreshnik are more like fake information aimed at intimidating Ukraine's Western partners," says military expert, reserve major of the Armed Forces Oleksiy Hetman.
