Russian missile attack: Warning shot or strategic bluff?
In the Orezhnik missile, which the Russian Federation used to attack the Dnipro last week, there were no explosives, according to Reuters, citing two high-ranking sources in the Ukrainian government.
Let's recall that the Orezhnik missile hit the Dnipro on November 21. Today, we know that Russia's new ballistic missile, which the aggressor used to alarm the world, had multiple warheads but did not contain explosives. As a result, the missile caused minimal damage.
The Russian Orezhnik did not carry explosives
The statements of Ukrainian officials support the Kremlin's claims that the weapon's use was intended as a warning to the West in light of lifted restrictions on the capability to conduct attacks deep within the territory of the Russian Federation (with ATACMS missiles).
The informants cited by Reuters indicate that it's known today that the Orezhnik is long-range ammunition primarily designed for nuclear attacks on targets thousands of kilometres away. “In this case, (the missile) was without explosives...There were no types of explosions like we expected. There was something, but it was not huge," one of the informants told Reuters.
The specification of Russia's new missile remains a mystery
The specifications of the Orezhnik remain shrouded in mystery. Some sources suggest the missile might have been based on the RS-26 Rubezh missile, but there's still no evidence to confirm this theory. The difficulties in determining the specifications also apply to the aforementioned RS-26 system, which remains secretive, with no specific documentation related to its specifications in the public domain.
Experts, however, point out that among the available information about the RS-26, the most credible data is the launch weight of approximately 44,000 to 50,000 kg. According to reports, the range of this missile may be up to 6,000 km, and it is usually equipped with four separate warheads, each with a yield of 300 kilotonnes.
