Commentators at the US magazine Military Watch Magazine argue that the range of Russia’s Oreshnik missile system is sufficient to strike targets on US territory, including major cities such as Washington and Chicago.

The authors recall that on 8 January Russian forces used the system for the second time, carrying out a strike in Lvov Region, not far from Ukraine’s western border.

According to Western analysts cited by the magazine, the missile’s range may reach roughly 5,500 kilometres, compared with earlier estimates of about 4,000 kilometres. This revision, they note, has a significant impact on the strategic balance in a potential confrontation between Russia and NATO.

The publication points out that if the missiles are launched from Russia’s Arctic territories, the extended range turns Oreshnik into an additional element of strategic deterrence against the United States. The magazine also stresses that the system gives Moscow the option of delivering conventional — non-nuclear — strikes on US territory, since its missiles can carry non-nuclear warheads. In this respect, Oreshnik is presented as distinct from intercontinental ballistic missiles, which are designed exclusively for strategic nuclear payloads.

Commentators further note that Oreshnik’s missiles are capable of manoeuvring in flight and changing their approach vector to the target. Combined with their very high speed, this, in their assessment, makes them an extremely difficult target for missile defence systems.