Oreshnik Missile Traces Roots to Soviet Technology Developed in Dnipro, Ukraine

Russia’s new Oreshnik missile, tested over Ukrainian territory can be tied back to a Soviet-era design from Dnipro, according to Oleksandr Kochetkov, a former engineer at Dnipro’s Pivdenne design bureau and now a political analyst.

He calls it ironic that a newer version of the same missile has now reportedly been used by Moscow to target the very city it was developed in. It is a scaled-down offshoot of the Yars intercontinental ballistic missile, retaining much of its predecessor’s framework while modifying warhead configurations and range.

The missile’s lineage begins with the Soviet ‘Universal’ rocket, originally developed in Dnipro and later transferred to Moscow’s Institute of Thermal Technology following the collapse of the USSR. This progression led from ‘Universal’ to the Topol-M, then the Yars, and now the Oreshnik, which shortens the Yars’ design to two stages and can carry up to six warheads at a reduced range.

“Instead of testing it at remote ranges in [Siberian] taiga, they are launching strikes on densely populated Ukrainian cities,” says Kochetkov.

Despite Moscow’s claims, Kochetkov advises against overstating Oreshnik’s threat. While it can theoretically carry nuclear payloads, the missile’s accuracy is poor and its destructive power limited.

Without advanced Western interceptors like the US-made THAAD, Ukraine could find it difficult to counter such missiles. Still, Kochetkov emphasizes that the real influence of Oreshnik, which exists only as a few experimental prototypes, may be more symbolic than strategic.

On November 21, Russian leader Vladimir Putin announced that Russia had successfully tested its new Oreshnik missile system by targeting the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. He claimed that no current defense system can intercept these weapons and indicated that the Kremlin plans to move toward mass production.

Putin stated that Oreshnik is not just a modernization of old Soviet technology, but rather a system based on advanced Russian developments. He also noted that several medium- and short-range missiles are in testing and will likely join Oreshnik in mass production. Russia intends to continue testing Oreshnik under various conditions, adjusting deployments according to evolving security threats.