Russia May Launch Another Oreshnik Missile at Ukraine in Upcoming Days, US Officials Warn

Russia may launch another hypersonic ballistic missile at Ukraine in the coming days, the Kyiv Post reported on December 11, citing US officials.

“Russia has signaled its intent to launch another experimental Oreshnik missile at Ukraine, potentially in the coming days,” one official said.

The sources believe that Oreshnik is just another attempt by Russia to terrorize Ukraine.

“However, this missile is not a battlefield game-changer but an effort to intimidate Ukraine and its allies. The Oreshnik, with its smaller warhead and limited availability, is unlikely to alter the course of the conflict,” the official added.

Russia launched the Oreshnik missile at the Ukrainian city of Dnipro for the first time on November 21, an action Vladimir Putin framed as retaliation for Ukraine's initial use of US ATACMS missiles and British Storm Shadows to target Russian territory with Western approval.

Putin has previously boasted that Russia's hypersonic missile systems have no global equivalents, with their production capacity steadily increasing.

On November 19, Putin approved an updated nuclear doctrine for Russia. Under the revised Fundamentals of State Nuclear Deterrence Policy, Russia asserts the right to use nuclear weapons in response to attacks involving weapons of mass destruction against itself or its allies. The doctrine also allows for nuclear use in the event of conventional military aggression against Russia or Belarus.