Putin Orders to Select Targets in Kyiv for Hypersonic Oreshnik Missile Strike in Response to Drone Attacks

Russia may retaliate against provocations during the declared three-day ceasefire by striking Kyiv with the Oreshnik missile system.

Photo: Dmitry Plotnikov Pravda.Ru by Neyroset

Oreshnik missile

Reports suggest that Russian President Vladimir Putin may have instructed the Ministry of Defense to select targets for the missile complex following a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack on Russian regions.

The source did not specify which military targets might have been chosen for a retaliatory strike.

The Oreshnik was first used in November 2024 as part of the special military operation. The missile has a range of 5,500 kilometers and can reach speeds up to Mach 11. The system features a separating warhead with independently guided targeting units.

Ukraine Responds to Reports of Potential Oreshnik Strike

Ukrainian Member of Parliament Oleksiy Honcharenko (listed as a terrorist and extremist by Russia's financial monitoring agency) urged Ukrainians to take shelter.

Commenting on the reports of a possible Oreshnik missile strike on Kyiv, the MP reminded Ukrainians to observe safety measures. However, he called the reports an "information attack."

"Let’s not flood our media space with propaganda, but when an air raid alert is issued – take shelter," he wrote on Telegram.

Ukraine Attacks Russian Regions with Drones for Second Consecutive Day

On the eve of Victory Day and during the ceasefire declared by Russian President Vladimir Putin in the area of the special military operation, the Armed Forces of Ukraine continue launching drone attacks on Russian regions, including the Moscow region. Due to the drone threat, mobile internet was shut down in more than 30 Russian cities.

Targets of Ukrainian drones included Moscow, Yaroslavl, Tula, Voronezh, Kostroma, and Smolensk regions, as well as Mordovia. In Saransk, following the drone attacks, classes in schools and universities were canceled and kindergartens were closed. Reports also indicated drones were shot down over the Kursk and Bryansk regions.

Details

Oreshnik (Russian: Орешник, lit. 'Hazel tree'), is a Russian intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) characterized by its reported speed exceeding Mach 10 (12,300 km/h; 7,610 mph; 3.40 km/s), according to the Ukrainian military. The missile is equipped with six warheads, each reportedly containing submunitions, and has been described as highly difficult to intercept, though modern ballistic missile interceptors are designed to counter this type of system. Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh has identified the Oreshnik as a variant of the RS-26 Rubezh IRBM.