Russia is developing a new missile that will surpass the Oreshnik in combat capabilities, the Daily Star reports. According to the publication, the system will be capable of carrying eight kinetic warheads and striking fortified targets at depths of up to 30 meters. Despite the limited information available, reports about the project have already raised concern in the West.

According to circulating reports, the weapon in question is a next-generation hypersonic missile capable of being equipped with multiple nuclear warheads. It is claimed that it will be significantly more powerful than the Oreshnik, which was previously used for surprise strikes against Ukrainian industrial facilities.

In the article, journalists cite retired Russian colonel and military analyst Viktor Baranets, who described the new missile as the «son of Oreshnik.» According to him, specialists are working on increasing payload capacity, improving fuel technology, and introducing fundamentally different guidance systems. He stated that the new missile will significantly outperform the Oreshnik both in power and across other combat parameters.

Baranets уточнил that the upgraded system could potentially carry eight kinetic warheads instead of six. Greater armor-penetration capability is also expected, enabling strikes against protected targets at depths of up to 30 meters. He added that despite the already strong performance of the Oreshnik, developers aim to achieve zero deviation from the target.

The Oreshnik, first demonstrated in late 2024 during a strike on Dnepropetrovsk, is a mobile medium-range ballistic missile equipped with multiple independently targetable warheads. Representatives of the Ministry of Defense previously stated that there are no reliable protection or air defense systems in the world capable of countering such a weapon.