Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) and military intelligence (HUR) destroyed one of Russia’s top-secret “Oreshnik” strategic missile systems during a covert operation at the Kapustin Yar testing range, SBU chief Vasyl Malyuk revealed, speaking with journalists alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian media Unian reported on October 31.
Malyuk described it as “a 100% successful strike,” noting that at the time of the operation, even the name of the new Russian complex had not yet been disclosed.
“This was a successful mission. Enough time has passed, and we can finally talk about it,” Malyuk said.
He added that the operation’s outcome was known only to a few presidents, including Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and that the details were deliberately kept secret to protect intelligence sources. “If I’m not mistaken, it happened the summer before last,” Malyuk said.
President Zelenskyy confirmed that Russia had conducted three test launches of the “Oreshnik” before the system was hit.
“They had three shots, and they used one,” Zelenskyy said, adding that Ukrainian intelligence now believes Moscow retains the capability to carry out up to six more launches.
“We believe the Russians are preparing to deploy the Oreshnik in Belarus, and we know its estimated range is about 5,000 kilometers,” the president said. “Europeans should pay close attention to these risks.”
The Oreshnik missile, first used against Ukraine in November 2024, is classified as an intermediate-range ballistic missile with hypersonic speed. It reportedly exceeds 3,000 kilometers in range, can carry conventional or nuclear warheads, and is capable of reaching speeds up to Mach 10–11.
Its flight profile includes a depressed trajectory and unpredictable re-entry maneuvers, complicating interception by NATO air defense systems such as Patriot PAC-3, SAMP/T, or NASAMS. Russian officials claim the missile entered serial production in 2025.
❗️❗️BREAKING: RUSSIANS VERY LIKELY FAILED TO LAUNCH THEIR «Oreshnik» intermediate-range ballistic missile
It is reported that the wreckage fell on the territory of 🇰🇿Kazakhstan!
🤣🤣🤣There are very few of these missiles and they turn out to be defective. I wonder how much… pic.twitter.com/XXgw9OYNBU
— Cloooud |🇺🇦 (@GloOouD) June 5, 2025
Based on visual analysis of the model and comparisons with previous missile systems, Ukrainian defense media Defense Express estimates the launch weight of the “Oreshnik” missile, together with its container, at approximately 45–48 tons. Without the container, the missile itself is believed to weigh around 40–43 tons.
The RS-26 Rubezh, which many analysts associate with the “Oreshnik” project, has been under development for more than seven years and was previously criticized in the West as a violation of the now-defunct Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.
The launcher is mounted on the MZKT-79291 chassis, a heavy vehicle produced by the Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant in Belarus. This chassis, with a 12×12 wheel configuration, has previously been used for Russian intercontinental missile systems such as the RT-2PM2 Topol-M and the RS-26 Rubezh.
The vehicle is capable of carrying a payload of roughly 60 tons, similar to earlier Soviet-era missile platforms like the MAZ-547, which supported the RSD-10 Pioneer system.
Earlier, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko had inadvertently revealed the appearance of Russia’s latest medium-range ballistic missile system, known as “Oreshnik” (also referred to as “Kedr”).
-29ed98e0f248ee005bb84bfbf7f30adf.jpg)
Help our reporters investigate lies, verify facts, and deliver truth from Ukraine’s frontlines.
First Appeared on
Source link
