This missile is capable of carrying nuclear warheads and cannot be intercepted, Russian President Putin claims. According to experts, however, "Oreshnik" it is neither new nor what we call a game changer.
"The Russian side has clearly demonstrated its capabilities." This sentence of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov after the use of a new type of missile clearly states what is now preoccupying the Russian leadership: the missile fired on Thursday at the Ukrainian city of Dnipro was intended as a warning and a threat.
Previously, Ukraine first used American ATACMS missiles, which can hit targets at a distance of up to 300 kilometers. Then Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov threatened to retaliate.
But even after the launch of the missile, Moscow continued to threaten: "The contours of the further reaction were clearly outlined in case our concerns are not taken into account," Peskov told the Russian news agency "Interfax".
This gives some idea of what the new missile, which is also said to be capable of carrying nuclear warheads, can do. And it appears to have served its purpose, as the threat seems to have been realized.
Meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council
NATO's reaction was not long in coming: at Ukraine's request, Alliance Secretary General Mark Rutte convened a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council. This advisory body was created for dialogue in crisis situations. The new Russian missile represents just such a situation.
"The world must react," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky insisted. As early as Thursday night, he said that what he sees now is that the war is getting bigger and more brutal, but not a strong reaction (to the Russian missile launch).
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz described this development as a "terrible escalation" that shows "how dangerous this war is.
China also took a stand. In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jiang called on all countries to show restraint, and Russia and Ukraine to "create conditions for a quick ceasefire".
How scary is the "Oreshnik" rocket?
What is this rocket that caused such a stir? In the words of Russian President Vladimir Putin, it is an "experimental hypersonic missile". He said on television that Russia had "combat tested one of Russia's latest medium-range missile systems". Putin also assured that the hypersonic missile can be equipped with nuclear warheads and cannot be intercepted.
It is not clear whether the "Oreshnik" missile it really is as dangerous as the Kremlin claims. According to the authorities in Dnipro, it struck an infrastructure object and injured two civilians. A representative of the US government said in Washington that the new missile is not what we call a "game changer" – something that changes things radically.
And then there is the question of how new the missile in question really is. The US Department of Defense accepts that the model is based on Russia's RS-26 intercontinental ballistic missile, and Fabian Hoffmann, who studies missile technology at the University of Oslo, does not think it is an entirely new type of weapon. "I would be surprised if Russia could create (such a missile) without using at least 90% of existing developments and without cannibalizing parts of the RS-26," says Hoffman.
A representative of the US government also said that Russia probably only has a few such missiles.