The Pentagon warned on Wednesday that Russia may launch another of its newly developed intermediate-range ballistic missiles, the Oreshnik, against Ukraine in the coming days.
At a press briefing, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said the U.S. has observed signs of Russia preparing for a missile launch. While she noted that the Oreshnik does not constitute a “game-changer” in the conflict, Singh emphasized that Russia continues to use its advanced arsenal to intimidate Ukraine as the war nears its third year.
U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, also confirmed that preparations for the launch align with intelligence assessments.
Russia first deployed the Oreshnik missile on November 21, targeting the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. Surveillance footage from the attack showed fireballs traveling at extraordinary speeds, a visual confirmation of the missile’s capabilities.
CLEAR footage shows alleged Russian ICBM strike on Ukraine’s Dnipro last night.
Multiple warheads were spotted in the footage. pic.twitter.com/H9qel6m8Dc
— Clash Report (@clashreport) November 21, 2024
Russian President Vladimir Putin described the strike as a retaliatory measure following Ukraine’s use of U.S.-supplied ATACMS and British Storm Shadow missiles to strike Russian targets.
Last night, Ukrainian forces conducted the first MGM-140 ATACMS strike into Russian territory, successfully hitting the 67th GRAU Arsenal, a critical ammunition storage facility in Bryansk Oblast.
Seen here, footage of Ukrainian HIMARS launching ATACMS into Russia. pic.twitter.com/WRc6pD9Ir1
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) November 19, 2024
The Oreshnik missile, which Russia has touted as a cutting-edge weapon, has a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometers (310 to 3,400 miles), placing it in the category of intermediate-range ballistic missiles.
According to U.S. officials, it is based on the design of Russia’s RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile. Despite its high-speed trajectory, the Pentagon clarified that the Oreshnik lacks a hypersonic glide vehicle, disqualifying it from being technically classified as a hypersonic missile.
Pentagon’s warning follows the Russian Defense Ministry’s statement on Wednesday that Moscow is prepared to retaliate after Ukraine struck a Russian military air base in Taganrog using six U.S.-made ATACMS missiles.
The ministry claimed that two missiles were intercepted by air defenses while four others were diverted through electronic warfare systems. “This attack with Western long-range weapons will not be left unanswered, and relevant measures will be taken,” the ministry stated.
