MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin announced today that the country has commenced the mass production of its advanced Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), marking a significant and rapid escalation in its strategic weapons program.
The declaration, made at a Kremlin ceremony honoring the developers of the Burevestnik strategic missile and the Poseidon underwater drone, confirms the serialization of the weapon just months after Putin’s pledge in December 2024 to begin the process.
“We have developed and put on duty, and launched mass production of the Oreshnik intermediate-range missile system,” President Putin stated. He emphasized that the move is part of Russia’s broader effort to equip its armed forces with state-of-the-art weaponry and enhance its strategic deterrence capabilities.
The Oreshnik, whose name translates to ‘Hazel shrub,’ gained international attention following its initial, confirmed combat use in November 2024 against a target in Ukraine. Experts suggest the missile is derived from the RS-26 Rubezh system and is characterized by its reported hypersonic speed, exceeding Mach 10. Crucially, it is believed to carry a Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicle (MIRV) payload, a feature typically associated with nuclear weapons, allowing it to deploy multiple warheads or submunitions.
Military analysts view the Oreshnik as a potent conventional capability, with the potential to strike European targets, and a strategic response to the collapse of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. Putin previously warned that the missile’s mass use, even with non-nuclear warheads, would be “comparable in effect and power to using strategic weapons.”
The commencement of mass production signals Russia’s commitment to integrating the high-speed, hard-to-intercept system into its Strategic Missile Forces, further intensifying the geopolitical missile standoff with the West.
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