Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced the commencement of serial production of the Oreshnik (also known as Hazel) missile system, a cutting-edge weapon designed for precise, high-speed strikes against deeply protected and strategic targets.

Putin confirmed that the decision to move into full-scale production has been made, and the system will soon enter active service.

According to Putin, the Oreshnik missile is not a weapon of mass destruction, distinguishing it from intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) typically associated with nuclear warfare. 

“In fact, the Oreshnik system is not a strategic weapon, nor is it an intercontinental ballistic missile,” Putin clarified, adding that it is a highly advanced, precision-guided weapon capable of delivering destructive power with pinpoint accuracy.

The Oreshnik system has already been tested in combat. On November 21, 2024, the missile, which was equipped with six warheads, was used for the first time in an attack on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. Eyewitnesses described the strike as unusual, with explosions that lasted for several hours. 

Putin revealed that the missile was used against a major target, one of Ukraine’s most prominent industrial complexes that has long been involved in missile production and other military technologies. 

The facility, likely the Yuzhmash plant in Dnipro, is a key part of Ukraine’s military-industrial complex and has been a focal point for efforts to develop ballistic missile capabilities.

The system is classified as a medium-range ballistic missile with hypersonic warheads. It is capable of traveling at speeds of up to Mach 10, or approximately 3 kilometers per second. 

Putin pointed out that this speed renders the missile invulnerable to current air defense and missile defense systems, including those deployed by NATO allies in Europe.

“The speed of these missiles guarantees that no air defense system, including the advanced ones developed by the Americans, can intercept them. This is excluded,” Putin asserted. 

The destructive power of the Oreshnik, particularly when used in mass strikes, is said to be comparable to that of nuclear weapons. 

With temperatures reaching up to 4,000 degrees Celsius, the missile’s warheads disintegrate everything in the blast radius into dust, reducing even the most hardened structures to mere particles.

Russia’s Missile Strike Draws Alarm In The UK 

Russian Ambassador to the UK Andrei Kelin has claimed that Russia’s medium-range “Hazel” missile system’s combat deployment has left a notable impression on the British public and media.

Kelin said during a recent broadcast on the Russia-24 TV channel that the situation has prompted reflections on the role of Western-supplied long-range weapons in escalating the conflict.  

“As for the use of Hazel, it really made a serious impression on the local public,” he said. 

He noted that the British government has attempted to reassure its citizens by claiming it had anticipated Russia’s potential use of ballistic missiles. However, these efforts appear to have fallen flat.

According to Kelin, British media outlets and social networks were quickly saturated with alarming headlines, with many pointing to the West’s decision to provide Ukraine with long-range weaponry for strikes deep into Russian territory as a catalyst for this heightened escalation.  

“Indeed, the local press and social networks were instantly full of apocalyptic headlines, and in them, one can read the realization that it was the go-ahead from Washington, London, and Paris to use long-range weapons for strikes deep into Russia that has now brought the world closer than ever to a dangerous line,” he noted.

Kelin also observed that President Vladimir Putin’s warnings about the consequences for Western nations following attacks on Russian soil have been extensively reported and analyzed in the UK. 

This has led to a major shift in public discourse, with more voices calling for steps to prevent further escalation. “For perhaps the first time, there are clear calls in Britain to avoid pushing the conflict beyond its current limits,” Kelin added. 

Meanwhile, in its intelligence update on November 29, the British Defense Ministry reported that Russia’s deployment of the Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile against Ukraine on November 21 was almost certainly intended as a form of strategic signaling. 

This move likely came in response to Ukraine’s use of Western-supplied missiles targeting Russian territory, according to the UK MoD. 

The report said Russia probably has only a limited stock of Oreshnik missiles, as they have not yet entered full-scale production. Additionally, these missiles are more expensive than other munitions currently employed by Russia, suggesting their use is more symbolic than tactical.

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