Russia has already used this missile on three known occasions, but this time there is a different objective
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Thursday that the Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile was launched against the Kyiv region, in Ukraine, on May 24, with the aim of observing the results of the attack and collecting data for future uses of this weapon.
During a press conference, Putin revealed that the attack was intended to evaluate the system’s performance in real conditions. “I am going to reveal a great state military secret. We simply attacked where it was convenient to observe the results”, he declared. The Russian head of state also added that “there has not been a single combat use of the Oreshnik missile, in the true sense of the word, on Ukrainian territory”.
According to Putin, Russian drones followed the operation to accurately analyze the effects of the impact. “Our drones came in, hit the barn and simply observed how the expanding blocks were placed. They calculated everything down to the millimeter,” he said.
The Kremlin leader also said that this assessment was considered important for deciding on future large-scale use of the Oreshnik against previously defined targets, including in populated areas.
Russia has already used this missile on three known occasions. The first occurred in November 2024, when Oreshnik hit the city of Dnipro, in east-central Ukraine. The second launch took place at the beginning of January this year, targeting the Lviv region.
Putin’s statements come in a context of continued Russian attacks against Ukraine. On the night of June 2, Russia launched one of the largest air strikes since the start of the large-scale war, hitting several Ukrainian cities, including areas close to Kyiv, using missiles and drones.
According to Ukrainian officials, the bombings caused at least 23 deaths, including two children, and left 130 injured.
