US believes Russia may soon launch another Oreshnik at Ukraine - Reuters
Illustrative photo: The United States believes that Russia will soon launch Oreshnik at Ukraine again (Getty Images)
The United States believes that Russia's Oreshnik missile will not significantly change the course of the war. However, Russia may strike Ukraine again, Reuters reports.
According to a Reuters source, Russia might launch another hypersonic ballistic missile against Ukraine in the coming days. The US believes that the Oreshnik is just another attempt by Russia to terrorize Ukraine.
"We assess that the Oreshnik is not a game-changer on the battlefield, but rather just another attempt by Russia to terrorize Ukraine, which will fail," an official told the outlet.
Although the Oreshnik is a new missile, a US official downplayed its utility, describing it as "experimental" in nature. He also noted that "Russia likely possesses only a handful" of these missiles. The weapon reportedly carries a smaller warhead compared to other missiles deployed by Russia in Ukraine.
Oreshnik strike on Ukraine
On November 21, Russian forces launched a missile attack on Dnipro, using an intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time.
Later, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed it was a test launch of the medium-range missile system Oreshnik.
Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence noted that the strike was carried out using the Kedr missile system. Defense Intelligence Chief Kyrylo Budanov clarified that the missile program is named Oreshnik, while the missile itself is called Kedr.
The Military Watch Magazine reported that Russia could potentially produce up to 300 Oreshnik missiles annually.
