Oreshnik Missile Use Will Depend on Battlefield Needs
A Russian lawmaker says any Oreshnik missile launch will depend on battlefield needs, while full combat use could create serious problems for Ukraine.
State Duma Defense Committee member Andrey Kolesnik said any decision to use the Oreshnik medium-range ballistic missile would be based entirely on the military situation.
According to him, such a launch would not be spontaneous or politically driven. The weapon would be used only if battlefield conditions and operational requirements made it necessary.
Kolesnik also suggested that Russia may possess weapons more powerful than Oreshnik. He said the missile had already been used during the military operation for what he described as a demonstrative purpose, and argued that its full combat use would create serious problems for the Ukrainian army.
Earlier, State Duma deputy Alexey Zhuravlev raised the possibility of using Oreshnik against European factories producing drones for Ukraine. He said such a strike could halt their operations and argued that Europe had already been waging war against Russia.
Aviation Major General Vladimir Popov previously stated that the 2024 Oreshnik strike on the Yuzhmash plant delayed Ukraine’s ballistic missile development program by more than three years.