Putin wants to mass-produce medium-range missiles

The situation at a glance

Putin wants to mass-produce medium-range missiles

The Kremlin is boasting about its new medium-haul rate and wants to build it in series. Ukrainian President Zelenskyj, on the other hand, speaks of war crimes and calls for a reaction.

Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin has expressed satisfaction with the use of a new medium-range missile against the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. He praised the rocket, known as the Oreschnik (German: nut bush), as unique in the world and announced that it would be mass produced. “Nobody else in the world has a weapon like this,” said the Russian president at a meeting with senior military officials and representatives of the arms industry. The decision for series production has been made and it has practically already been organized.

Moscow will continue testing the rocket, including in combat operations, he emphasized. He described the rocket attack on Dnipro as a successful test.

The television pictures showed Putin visibly pleased. Oreshnik is not a modernization of Soviet technology, but rather a testament to the technical progress of Russian engineering and the strength of the defense sector, he said. Those involved in building the rocket would be awarded high medals. “The results of their use are comparable to the use of strategic weapon systems in terms of their effect and performance.”

The Oreshnik system is neither a strategic weapon nor a weapon of mass destruction because it can also be used in a very targeted manner, he added. According to Moscow, the missile will fly at hypersonic speeds and be inaccessible to anti-aircraft systems. This information could not initially be independently confirmed. Experts assume that the rocket could technically also be equipped with nuclear warheads.

Russia fired a new medium-range ballistic missile at Ukraine on Thursday. According to Russian information, an arms factory in Dnipro was attacked. Moscow also deliberately used the launch of the rocket to deter the West. This should be prevented from continuing to support Ukraine, which is being attacked by Russia – especially not with long-range missiles to fire at military objects on Russian territory.

So the statements made by a high-ranking general about Putin at the same meeting can be understood as threats to the West and especially the countries on the European continent. “Based on the tasks set and the range of this weapon, it (the missile) can attack targets throughout the territory of Europe, which advantageously distinguishes it from other types of long-range high-precision weapons,” said the head of Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces Sergei Karakayev.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj accused Putin of new war crimes. If someone shells other countries not just to terrorize them, but to test new missiles for further terror, then this is definitely a war crime, Zelensky argued in his evening video speech.

Russia’s behavior is also an affront to China and the countries of the Global South that call for moderation, Zelensky complained. Once again he called for a sharp reaction from the international community.

The Kremlin itself accuses Kiev and the West of escalation and sees the use of the new missile as a response to Ukraine’s shelling of Russian territory with long-range Western weapons.

Zelensky also appealed to his own compatriots and foreign diplomats working in Kiev. Ukraine is working on strengthening its air defense. Nevertheless, every air alarm must be taken seriously and cover must be sought in the event of danger. At the same time, the potential danger of a Russian missile attack should not be used as an excuse to vacate, said Zelensky, also with a view to the partially closed embassies in the country.