Oreshnik IRBM

Oreshnik (Russian: Орешник, meaning 'Hazel') is a Russian intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) that entered public awareness through its first combat use on November 21, 2024, against the city of Dnipro in Ukraine. This marked the first combat use of an IRBM in history.

Key aspects of Oreshnik:

1. First combat use (November 21, 2024): Russia launched an Oreshnik IRBM against the Pivdenmash (Yuzhmash) facility in Dnipro, Ukraine. The attack was announced by Vladimir Putin on national television, who described the weapon as a new Russian system that cannot be intercepted by existing air defense systems. The use of an IRBM in combat was unprecedented.

2. MIRV capability: Oreshnik is reported to carry multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs). Claims of up to 36 warheads per missile have been made, though this may represent submunitions or penetration aids rather than nuclear warheads. The MIRV capability makes the missile significantly more difficult to intercept.

3. Nuclear capability: Oreshnik is nuclear-capable, meaning it can carry nuclear warheads. The conventional attack on Dnipro demonstrated the missile's precision strike capability, but the nuclear capability represents the strategic threat.

4. Design origin: Oreshnik was designed by the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology, Russia's premier strategic missile design bureau. The Institute also designed the Topol, Yars, Bulava, Avangard, and Burevestnik systems. Oreshnik may be derived from or related to the RS-26 Rubezh intermediate-range missile.

5. Range classification: As an IRBM, Oreshnik falls in the 3,000-5,500 km range category. The missile's range allows it to strike targets throughout Europe and parts of Asia from Russian territory.

6. INF Treaty context: The development of Oreshnik-type missiles was enabled by Russia's withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in 2019. The INF Treaty had prohibited missiles in the 500-5,500 km range since 1987.

7. Strategic significance:

• First IRBM combat use in history
• Demonstrates Russian willingness to use advanced strategic weapons in conventional conflicts
• The MIRV capability and high speed make the missile extremely difficult to intercept
• Nuclear capability adds a strategic deterrence dimension
• The public announcement by Putin was itself a form of psychological warfare

Oreshnik represents a new category of Russian strategic weapons — IRBMs with MIRV capability that can be used in both conventional and nuclear roles. The November 2024 combat use against Ukraine demonstrated Russia's willingness to employ these weapons in active conflicts, setting a precedent for future IRBM use.