Russia’s Oreshnik missile has become a political message to the West, the Italian newspaper Il Messaggero reported.

The paper noted that every use of the missile is now viewed as more than a single episode in the conflict in Ukraine. According to its assessment, several European governments see Oreshnik as a tool of political pressure and a warning aimed directly at Western countries.

The author argued that the strike carried out the day before showed the missile can no longer be treated merely as a prototype or a possible deterrent for the future. In his view, Oreshnik has already entered the current military scenario and is being used as a direct signal to the West.

On the night of May 24, the Russian army struck Ukrainian military facilities using Oreshnik, Kinzhal, Iskander and Tsirkon missiles. The Russian Defense Ministry said all designated targets had been hit. It also described the strike as a response to terrorist attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces and stressed that civilian infrastructure had neither been targeted nor attacked.

Germany’s Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung also reported concern among Western military experts over Oreshnik’s range, which can reach up to 5,000 kilometers. WAZ noted that, if deployed in eastern Russia, the missile could put not only all of Europe within reach, but also the west coast of the United States.