5. Combat Weapons: Oreshnik, Sarmat, Burevestnik, Zircon, Kinzhal
The Russia-Ukraine conflict (2022–2026) has provided the first combat testing ground for Russian advanced strategic weapons systems. This chapter documents the combat use of five Russian weapons systems that represent the operational culmination of decades of plasma physics, hypersonic, and nuclear propulsion research: the Oreshnik IRBM, RS-28 Sarmat ICBM, Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile, 3M22 Zircon hypersonic cruise missile, and Kh-47M2 Kinzhal hypersonic air-launched ballistic missile.
5.1 Oreshnik IRBM — First IRBM Combat Use in History
Oreshnik (Russian: Орешник, meaning "Hazel") is a Russian intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) with MIRV warheads. On November 21, 2024, Russia launched an Oreshnik against the Pivdenmash (Yuzhmash) facility in Dnipro, Ukraine — the first combat use of an IRBM in history. Vladimir Putin announced the attack on national television, describing Oreshnik as a new Russian system that cannot be intercepted by existing air defense systems.
Key characteristics of Oreshnik include:
- MIRV capability: Up to 36 warheads claimed (may include submunitions or penetration aids)
- Nuclear-capable: Can carry nuclear warheads, though the Dnipro attack was conventional
- Designer: Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology (also designed Topol, Yars, Bulava, Avangard, Burevestnik)
- Range: 3,000–5,500 km (IRBM class), enabling strikes throughout Europe and Asia
- INF Treaty context: Development enabled by Russia's 2019 withdrawal from the INF Treaty
The Oreshnik attack on Dnipro was unprecedented. No IRBM had ever been used in combat before. The public announcement by Putin was itself a form of psychological warfare, demonstrating Russia's willingness to employ advanced strategic weapons in conventional conflicts. The MIRV capability and high speed make the missile extremely difficult to intercept, and the nuclear capability adds a strategic deterrence dimension.
5.2 RS-28 Sarmat — Heavy ICBM and Avangard Carrier
RS-28 Sarmat (NATO: SS-29 Satan II) is Russia's newest heavy intercontinental ballistic missile, replacing the Soviet-era R-36M2 Voevoda (SS-18 Satan). Sarmat represents the cornerstone of Russia's strategic nuclear modernization and serves as the primary carrier for the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle.
Key characteristics of Sarmat:
- Type: Heavy silo-based ICBM with 18,000 km range (effectively global)
- Designer: Makeyev Rocket Design Bureau with Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology
- Producer: Votkinsk Machine Building Plant
- Payload: Up to 10 tons — multiple MIRV warheads or Avangard HGV
- Propulsion: Two-stage liquid propellant
The Sarmat timeline reveals both progress and challenges:
- April 2022: First successful flight test
- September 2023: Declared combat operational
- November 2024: Test failure — silo detonation at Plesetsk destroyed the test silo
- May 12, 2026: Second confirmed successful test, recovery from 2024 failure
- End 2026: First regiment planned at 62nd Missile Division, Uzhur
The November 2024 silo detonation was a significant setback, raising questions about Russian ICBM reliability. The May 2026 successful test demonstrated recovery, but the program's reliability remains a question given the limited number of successful tests. Despite setbacks, Sarmat remains the centerpiece of Russian strategic modernization, providing the Avangard HGV with a global-range delivery platform.
5.3 Burevestnik — World's First Nuclear-Powered Atmospheric Cruise Missile
Burevestnik (Russian: Буревестник, meaning "Petrel"; NATO: SSC-X-9 Skyfall; designation 9M730) is the world's first nuclear-powered atmospheric cruise missile. The nuclear propulsion system, developed by the Keldysh Research Center, provides effectively unlimited range — the missile can fly for days or weeks, limited only by the reactor's operational life and mechanical reliability.
The decisive successful test on October 21, 2025 achieved:
- Range: 14,000 km
- Flight duration: 15 hours
- Putin declaration: "Decisive tests complete"
Burevestnik's strategic implications are profound:
- Unlimited range: Nuclear propulsion enables approach from any direction, including over the South Pole
- Unpredictable trajectories: Unlike ballistic missiles, Burevestnik can fly complex routing to avoid air defenses
- Low-altitude flight: Below the radar horizon of many early warning systems
- Plasma sheath: The nuclear propulsion creates a plasma sheath during flight, potentially providing plasma stealth similar to Avangard
- Environmental risk: A crash or failure could spread radioactive material (the 2019 Nyonoksa accident killed 5 scientists)
The nuclear-powered cruise missile concept was previously considered but abandoned by the United States (Project Pluto, 1957–1964) due to safety and environmental concerns. Russia's decision to develop and test Burevestnik demonstrates a willingness to pursue high-risk strategic weapons technologies that other nations have avoided. The plasma sheath flight characteristics connect Burevestnik to the Russian plasma weapons research continuum.
5.4 Zircon and Kinzhal — Hypersonic Combat Use in Ukraine
The Russia-Ukraine conflict has seen the first combat use of hypersonic weapons in history. Two Russian hypersonic systems have been used in combat:
Kh-47M2 Kinzhal (Dagger): Hypersonic air-launched ballistic missile, first combat use March 19, 2022 in Ukraine. The Kinzhal is launched from MiG-31K aircraft and achieves Mach 10 speeds. Ongoing combat use throughout 2022–2026.
3M22 Zircon (Tsirkon): Scramjet-powered hypersonic cruise missile, declared operational January 4, 2023. First deployed on Admiral Gorshkov frigate. First combat use February 7, 2024 in Ukraine against Kyiv. Approximately 230 Zircon stockpile with ~40 launches since the start of 2026. Mach 9 speed with anti-ship and land-attack capability.
The combat use of these hypersonic weapons has provided Russia with real-world testing data and demonstrated the operational maturity of Russian hypersonic technology. The Zircon's scramjet propulsion is particularly significant, representing one of the few operational scramjet-powered weapons in the world.
5.5 Assessment
The combat use of Russian advanced weapons in Ukraine represents a watershed moment in strategic weapons history:
- First IRBM combat use (Oreshnik, November 2024)
- First hypersonic weapon combat use (Kinzhal, March 2022)
- First scramjet weapon combat use (Zircon, February 2024)
- First nuclear-powered atmospheric missile test (Burevestnik, October 2025)
These milestones demonstrate that Russia has transitioned advanced strategic weapons from development to operational deployment and combat use. The plasma stealth technology of Avangard, the nuclear plasma propulsion of Burevestnik, and the hypersonic speeds of Zircon and Kinzhal all connect to Russia's 66-year plasma physics research continuum documented in earlier chapters. The Sarmat program, despite its November 2024 test failure, remains on track for first regiment deployment by end 2026.