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 missile’s capabilities and its use would not lead to escalation.
Russian media are actively covering the technical characteristics of the Oreshnik, emphasizing its range and destructive power. ISW analysts believe that such statements are intended to influence the psychological state of both Ukraine and its allies, trying to deter Kyiv from using Western long-range weapons against Russia.
“Even Putin’s threats to strike at ‘decision-making centers’ in Kyiv remain empty, as Russian troops are already regularly attacking critical infrastructure in Ukraine,” experts explain.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed during a meeting of the CSTO Security Council in Kazakhstan that Putin's statements about new missiles are only a desire to increase pressure.
“Putin wants to add thousands more to the thousands of missiles that have already been fired at Ukraine,” Zelenskyy noted.
American intelligence also sees no risk of using nuclear weapons in response to Ukrainian military strikes on Russian territory, which Reuters sources confirm.
The missile that Russia used in the strike on the Dnieper River on November 21, according to Ukrainian intelligence, is only a medium-range ballistic missile. The name “Oreshnik” refers to research and development work, not a new development.
“Putin's statements about Oreshnik are more like an informational fake aimed at intimidating Ukraine's Western partners,” notes military expert, reserve major of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksiy Getman.
