Russian officials are pressuring President Vladimir Putin to deploy the hypersonic Oreshnik missile following Ukraine’s largest drone assault on Moscow since the war began, according to state reports.
The calls for retaliation intensified after Moscow experienced an unprecedented wave of Ukrainian drone strikes, with 337 drones targeting ten Russian regions overnight. Russian air defenses intercepted 91 drones over the capital, but falling debris caused multiple casualties, infrastructure damage, and temporary shutdowns at major airports.
Col-Gen Andrey Kartapolov, a Russian lawmaker and former deputy defense minister, stated that launching the Oreshnik missile would be a proportional response. “The decision rests with the Supreme Commander-in-Chief [Putin], but I believe it would not be unreasonable—better yet, more than one,” he said.
The Oreshnik missile, an advanced intermediate-range ballistic weapon, is capable of reaching speeds of 7,600 mph (Mach 10) and generating temperatures up to 4,000 degrees. Designed to carry multiple warheads, its velocity makes interception nearly impossible. The missile was previously used in a strike on Dnipro last November after Ukraine fired U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles into Russian-controlled territory.
Amid escalating tensions, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko confirmed that the Oreshnik missile system would soon be operational in Belarus, further raising security concerns. The situation unfolds as U.S. and Ukrainian officials engage in high-stakes negotiations in Saudi Arabia, discussing military support, economic aid, and the future course of the conflict.
