20:39 24-05-2026

Oreshnik Missile Strike: Expert Says It Can’t Be Stopped

Russia used Oreshnik and other precision weapons in a major Ukraine strike, while analyst Yuri Knutov said the missile cannot now be intercepted.

Add Military Affairs to your preferred Google sources

On May 24, the press service of the Russian Defense Ministry said the Russian army had carried out a massive group strike on military targets in Ukraine. According to the ministry, the attack was launched in response to strikes by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on civilian infrastructure in Russian regions.

The Defense Ministry said the operation involved Oreshnik ballistic missiles, Iskander aeroballistic missiles, Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, Zircon cruise missiles and other high-precision weapons. The targets included military command posts, air bases and enterprises of Ukraine’s defense industry.

Military analyst and air defense historian Yuri Knutov commented on the strike, focusing in particular on the capabilities of the Oreshnik missile. According to him, there is currently no way to intercept it.

Knutov said that any attempt to shoot down Oreshnik with missiles or other existing means would be pointless. He allowed that such a possibility could emerge in the future if combat lasers were deployed in space, but stressed that no effective countermeasure against Oreshnik exists at present.

The air defense historian also noted that the missile is used in especially difficult situations because of its high accuracy and considerable destructive power.