A tremendous outburst of voices!
In a significant development, Russia has started the serial production and deployment of its new Oreshnik hypersonic missile system [1][2][3][4][5]. The first units have been delivered to the Russian military, with preparations underway to station them in Belarus by the end of 2025.
The Oreshnik is a medium-range ballistic missile with a reported strike range of up to 5,500 kilometers. It can travel at speeds of Mach 10 (around 3,400 m/s), making it extremely difficult for existing Western missile defense systems to intercept due to its speed and maneuverability [1][2][4].
What sets the Oreshnik apart is its ability to carry multiple hypersonic glide vehicles, each capable of carrying conventional or nuclear warheads. These warheads descend on targets with extreme speed and precision, making interception by current defense systems effectively impossible [1][3][4]. The missile made its combat debut in November 2024 during a strike on Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk (Dnipro) region, causing substantial structural damage by kinetic force alone [1][3].
The deployment of Oreshnik missile systems in Belarus, an ally and neighbour bordering NATO countries and Ukraine, is particularly notable. It places these hypersonic weapons within striking distance of key NATO territories, significantly raising regional security tensions [1][2][3][4][5].
In the context of the war in Ukraine, the deployment exacerbates the humanitarian crisis in the Donbass region by increasing the scale and intensity of military strikes possible with such highly advanced and hard-to-defend weapons [1][3]. The missile’s speed and precision could enable rapid strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure and military targets, contributing to further civilian suffering and displacement.
President Putin has highlighted the missile's destructive power, suggesting that the use of several Oreshniks in a conventional strike could be as devastating as a nuclear attack [3][4]. This development represents a major leap in Russia’s hypersonic weapons capabilities and poses serious challenges to missile defense and regional stability [1][2][3][4][5].
The consequences of Russia's withdrawal from the INF Treaty include the potential deployment of new intermediate-range missiles, further complicating the geopolitical landscape.
Christoph Wanner is reporting from Kyiv on the current developments, providing updates on the situation in Donetsk, Ukraine, where a severe water shortage exists due to war damage, corruption, and extreme drought [6]. The humanitarian crisis in Donbass is severe, with millions of people having access to water for only two hours every three days.
The war in Ukraine is increasingly becoming a burden for the entire region, with the deployment of Oreshnik missiles near NATO borders, such as in Belarus or Kaliningrad, likely to further escalate tensions. The situation in Donetsk raises fears of a humanitarian catastrophe, with the potential for rapid and devastating strikes against critical infrastructure exacerbating the crisis.
References: 1. BBC News 2. The Guardian 3. Reuters 4. NATO 5. Welt News Channel 6. Wanner Report
- The deployment of the Oreshnik hypersonic missile system, particularly in Belarus, raises concerns in the realm of general news and politics, as the weapon's speed and precision could potentially place key NATO territories within striking range, escalating regional tensions and conflict.
- The development of hypersonic weapons, such as the Oreshnik missile, and the potential deployment of intermediate-range missiles following Russia's withdrawal from the INF Treaty, are significant aspects of war-and-conflicts and politics, presenting serious challenges to missile defense and regional stability.
