In a bizarre statement, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested making Kyiv into an arena for a missile “duel” to test the effectiveness of Western air defense systems.
During his annual end-of-year conference, Putin proposed targeting Ukraine’s capital with Russia’s new “Oreshnik” [Hazel Tree] missile in a challenge to the US and European missile defenses ability to intercept it.
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“Let them [Western experts] pick a target in Kyiv, concentrate all their air and missile defense systems there, and we’ll strike with an Oreshnik missile. Let’s see what happens,” Putin declared, framing the dangerous idea as a “high-tech duel between 21st century weaponry.”
Russia first used the medium-range ballistic missile, called “Oreshnik” by Putin, in a strike on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Nov. 21. Putin claimed the attack was retaliation for the use of Western-supplied ATACMS missiles on Russian territory.
While Putin described the weapon as “medium-range,” Russian military analysts suggested that the more accurate term in English would be “intermediate-range.” Intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBMs) typically have a range of 1,000 to 5,500 kilometers (621 to 3,418 miles), placing them just below intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) in classification.
The US Department of Defense referred to the Oreshnik as an “experimental” missile, reportedly based on Russia’s RS-26 Rubezh ICBM. Little is known about the Rubezh, which is believed to be a modification of the Topol ICBM.
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Western experts, including the Pentagon, view the missile as an experimental weapon with limited availability and minimal strategic impact. US intelligence has reported the possibility of another “Oreshnik” strike in Ukraine but dismissed it as unlikely to change the course of the war.
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