Lieutenant Andrii Kovalenko, Head of the Center for Countering Disinformation under Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, clarified on his Telegram channel that no “Oreshnik” missile launch took place February 6, contrary to earlier reports.
He reiterated that Russia is obligated to notify its Western partners in advance of such launches, but no such notification was issued. Furthermore, there was no evidence of a subsequent missile launch or “rocket drop.”
On February 6, Forbes, citing Ukrainian military blogger Kyrylo Sazonov, claimed an Oreshnik missile was fired from Russia’s Astrakhan region, saying it reportedly malfunctioned and exploded on Russian territory before reaching its intended target.
The “Oreshnik,” a ballistic missile variant of Russia’s RS-26, first came to prominence on November 21, 2024, when Russia launched it against the city of Dnipro in the East of Ukraine.
The missile, weighing 40 tons and equipped with six independent reentry vehicles, was initially mistaken for a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile, escalating fears of its destructive potential.
It has been reported that there are numerous technical flaws that can be traced back to its origins as a modified RS-26, hampered by reduced fuel capacity and a shorter range.
These deficiencies mirror the RS-26's troubled debut in 2011, which culminated in an explosion near the launch site. Although independent verification of this latest failure is yet to emerge, it is consistent with Oreshnik’s established reputation for unreliability.
This incident follows a pattern of threats and propaganda from Russia. After the initial Oreshnik strike, Putin warned of further launches, specifically targeting “decision-making centers” in Kyiv.
On January 26, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko announced the imminent arrival of Russia's Oreshnik missile system in Belarus.
