Ukraine destroyed one of the Russian medium-range missiles "Oreshnik" in a special operation in the summer of 2023. This was revealed by the head of the SBU security service Vasily Malyuk, quoted by "Reuters".
He specified that the operation was carried out jointly by the SBU, the military intelligence GUR and foreign intelligence and was "100% successful".
Russia used the "Oreshnik" missile for the first time - hazelnut tree in Russian - against Ukraine in November 2024. The attack was aimed at a defense plant in Dnipro, more than a year after the alleged destruction of one of the missiles by Kiev.
"We can say briefly and concisely that one of the three "Oreshnik" missiles was successfully destroyed on their (Russian) territory in Kapustin Yar," Malyuk said during a briefing chaired by President Volodymyr Zelensky, which was also attended by Ukraine's Foreign Minister, the head of foreign intelligence and other officials.
Malyuk did not provide details on how the operation was carried out.
Ukrainian intelligence officials reported that Russia had produced three "Oreshnik" missiles this year and plans to double annual production to six.
Zelensky said 25 companies were involved in the production of the "Oreshnik" and called on Ukraine's Western partners to impose sanctions on them.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the "Oreshnik" missile is impossible to intercept and has a destructive power comparable to a nuclear weapon. Western experts have questioned those claims, however. In June, Putin said Russia was increasing production, but did not give details.
The "Oreshnik" missiles were showcased at joint Russian-Belarusian military exercises last month. This week, Belarus, a key Russian ally, confirmed that it would deploy the "Oreshnik" missile system on its territory, which borders Ukraine, in December.