Russia needs to send another message to the United States by launching an Oreshnik (Hazel) missile at Ukraine, according to the former Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN, Konstantin Dolgov. 

Konstantin Dolgov, the former Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN, made the remarks in response to statements from the US Department of Defense that Russia might launch another experimental Oreshnik missile in the coming days. 

On December 11, Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh claimed that intelligence assessments indicated a potential launch of the Oreshnik missile in the next few days. 

However, she downplayed its significance, stating that the Oreshnik missile is not viewed as a game-changer on the battlefield. 

“The Oreshnik is not a game-changer,” Singh said at a press briefing, “but rather just another attempt by Russia to terrorize Ukraine, which will fail.” The Pentagon official declined to provide additional details about the intelligence assessment, citing its sensitive nature.

In response, Dolgov rejected the notion that the Oreshnik missile was meant to intimidate Ukraine, as suggested by the Pentagon. He argued that any weapon is designed to destroy the enemy, damage infrastructure, and demoralize forces. 

He pointed to the reactions from Kyiv after the missile strike, which he claimed indicated the attack’s success in achieving those goals. 

Dolgov further stated that the first strike with the Oreshnik had not sufficiently “taught” the United States a lesson, claiming that the US was indifferent to the suffering of Ukrainians.

He stressed that the missile had already impacted the course of the conflict and that Russia might continue using the Oreshnik, potentially targeting decision-making centers in Kyiv, as President Vladimir Putin had previously suggested.

Putin has previously described the Oreshnik missile as “impossible to intercept” and announced that it has the destructive power of a nuclear weapon, even with a conventional warhead. 

He also warned that Russia could use the missile to strike key targets in Ukraine if Kyiv continues to use Western-supplied long-range weapons against Russian forces.

The Oreshnik Missile: What We Know So Far 

Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed the Oreshnik missile in late November, announcing that it had been used for the first time in Ukraine. Its use was seen as a direct response to Ukraine’s use of advanced Western weapons like the ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles on Russian soil. 

He described the missile as traveling at speeds up to 10 times the speed of sound, or Mach 10, comparing its trajectory to that of a meteorite. Though Ukrainian military officials reported that it reached speeds of Mach 11.

Putin further said that the missile is impervious to missile defense systems.

The Oreshnik missile gained global attention primarily due to its long-range capabilities, which are believed to surpass most other weapons deployed in the war. US analysts have said the Oreshnik may be a modified version of the Rubezh RS-26 ballistic missile. 

Missiles of this class typically have a range of up to 3,410 miles, which enables them to strike virtually any target in Europe. In addition, Moscow has suggested that the Oreshnik could be armed with nuclear payloads. 

General Sergei Karakayev, the head of Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces, confirmed that the Oreshnik could deliver either nuclear or conventional warheads and could reach any European target with its impressive range. 

Unlike shorter-range Russian weapons already in use in Ukraine, the Oreshnik provides the Kremlin with an escalatory tool that avoids the need to deploy nuclear weapons. 

In their analysis for the UK-based Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), Dr. Sidharth Kaushal and Matthew Savill stated, “A large missile like this sends a more potent message around potential nuclear use, as well as ‘punishing’ Ukraine for the use of ATACMS and Storm Shadow. The primary audience for this message is probably NATO and the coalition of international backers of Ukraine, rather than Ukraine itself – a not-so-subtle reminder that Russia has a wider arsenal of different and larger missile types.”

However, the missile used in the November attack on a missile manufacturing plant in Dnipro carried conventional warheads.

Yet, Putin has portrayed it as an extraordinarily destructive weapon, claiming that its warheads can reach temperatures of over 7,000 degrees Fahrenheit. He added that a simultaneous launch of multiple Oreshnik missiles could cause devastation similar to a nuclear strike. 

Some experts believe Russia may only have a limited number of Oreshnik missiles, but questions remain about how quickly the country can produce more.  

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