Zelenskyy blasts Russia for replacing negotiations with Oreshnik missile threats
Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine (Getty Images)
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Kyiv is ready for a new peace meeting, but from Russia, he hears only manipulations involving Oreshnik, Zelenskyy said this in his evening address.
Read also: Russia's Oreshnik missile threat explained: Intimidation or real danger?
"Ukraine is ready for a meeting. Unfortunately, we still do not have enough concrete responses from Russia regarding what has been proposed for next week. So far, all we hear are manipulations involving Oreshnik. This is definitely not about peace," the president said.
What happened before
Today, February 12, a nationwide air raid alert was declared across Ukraine due to the threat of the aggressor country using the ballistic missile system Oreshnik.
In particular, the Ukrainian Air Forces warned of a potential use of ballistic missiles by Russia, while monitoring channels reported a possible launch of an Oreshnik from the Kapustin Yar training ground in Russia's Astrakhan region.
The missile's flight time to Kyiv could have been around five minutes, and up to 10 minutes to the western regions. However, there was no confirmation that the missile entered Ukraine’s airspace — a simulation launch likely took place at the training ground.
What is known about Oreshnik
Oreshnik is a Russian medium-range ballistic missile that the aggressor country presented as "state-of-the-art weaponry" at the end of 2024.
According to open sources, it was developed based on the RS-26 Rubezh system and can reach hypersonic speeds (over 12,000 km/h). The missile is equipped with six warheads, each containing submunitions.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported that, as of the end of January 2026, Russia has no more than 3–4 of these missiles in its arsenal. It is also known that only a small number are produced annually.
Oreshnik strikes on Ukraine
During the full-scale war, Russia has used this missile against Ukraine twice. The first time Russia launched an Oreshnik at Ukraine was on November 21, 2024, which Russian President Vladimir Putin at the time described as a "successful test."
The second time Russian forces used the Oreshnik was on the night of January 9, when they attacked the Lviv region. Later, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) released footage of the debris of the Russian ballistic missile.
