The new Russian attack on Kyiv with the intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile Oreshnik was not simply another strike in the war of Ukraine. According to military and diplomatic sources, it constituted a carefully staged demonstration of strategic power by Moscow — a message not only to Ukraine but primarily to the United States, NATO and the European governments that continue to intensify their military involvement. The fact that Russia proceeded with prior notification both to the United States and to China before the launch of the Oreshnik shows the level of seriousness with which it treats this specific weapons system. Such notifications are given exclusively for strategic-level missile systems with nuclear capability. And this is precisely the element that causes nervousness in the West.
The third operational strike with Oreshnik
The attack on Kyiv constitutes the third known operational use of the Oreshnik by the Russian armed forces. The first use had been recorded in November 2024, causing shock to Western staffs, while the second took place on 8 January against a target in the region of Lviv, near the border with Poland and NATO. The latest strike seems to have been even more sophisticated. Videos from Kyiv record multiple simultaneous explosions of high power, an element that strengthens the estimates that multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRV) were used, a capability that transforms the Oreshnik into an extremely difficult weapon to intercept. The attack was carried out in parallel with launches of Iskander-M ballistic missiles, creating a combined saturation strike which, according to military analysts, aimed at both operational infrastructure and the psychological destabilization of the Ukrainian capital.
The first visual recording of a strike with Oreshnik in history - Multiple explosions
A weapon more political than tactical
Despite its military capabilities, the Oreshnik is considered by many analysts primarily a political and strategic weapon. Russia already possesses a huge number of cheaper missiles of shorter range that can effectively strike Ukrainian targets. The use of the Oreshnik, therefore, is not explained solely by operational criteria. On the contrary, Moscow seems to seek to show that it possesses weapons against which the West has no substantial defense. The head of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, Sergey Naryshkin, had stated that the capabilities of the Oreshnik caused a shocking effect on Western defense planners. According to him, Western military experts admitted that they do not possess technical or military-technical means capable of effectively intercepting the system. This statement acquires particular significance if combined with the information that the Oreshnik can carry highly maneuverable hypersonic warheads, capable of changing course during the final phase of engagement. For the first time on video a strike with Oreshnik
Russia may have launched the most powerful attack on Kyiv in two years last night and early morning, surpassing the numerous waves of attacks it has carried out on Ukrainian territory during the last one and a half year. The Oreshnik missile was used in this attack on the… pic.twitter.com/iYz7GdTPvT
— @Suriyak (@Suriyakmaps) May 24, 2026
Panic in the West over the inability to intercept
The biggest problem for NATO is not only the power of the Oreshnik but the inability to counter it. The use of hypersonic weapons radically changes the strategic balance, as it dramatically reduces reaction time and renders many existing Western missile defense systems insufficient. The Russian ambassador to the United Kingdom, Andrey Kelin, had argued already since the end of 2024 that the first use of the Oreshnik deeply affected British policy towards Moscow and forced London to move more carefully on the issue of supporting Ukrainian attacks deep inside Russian territory. According to Russian estimates, the real target of Moscow is not only Ukraine but the strategic cohesion of NATO itself. Russia is attempting to convince European governments that the deeper they are involved in the war, the more the risk of direct confrontation increases with weapons against which they do not possess effective protection.
Explosions in Kyiv after the strike with Oreshnik
The message of the Kremlin
Behind the strike in Kyiv hides a clear geopolitical message: Moscow considers that the war has now been transformed into a direct conflict with the West and not simply into a war with Ukraine. The use of the Oreshnik functions as a reminder that Russia retains capabilities of strategic escalation that can radically change security calculations in Europe. And the most worrying thing for the West is that each new use of the system seems to confirm that Moscow is not bluffing.
The terrible Oreshnik
Behind the political and geopolitical impact of the latest strikes, the Oreshnik constitutes also an extremely advanced weapons system that changes balances on the modern battlefield. According to military estimates and Russian sources, it is a new generation intermediate-range ballistic missile with hypersonic capabilities, designed not only to penetrate Western missile defense systems but also to function as a tool of strategic deterrence against NATO.
NEW angle of Russian Oreshnik missile strike on Ukraine's Bila Tserkva.
— Clash Report (@clashreport) May 24, 2026
The likely target was the local airfield. pic.twitter.com/8FqM5QAHqb
The basic characteristics of the Oreshnik
The information available to date attributes to the Oreshnik the following characteristics:
1) a range estimated between 3,000 and 5,500 kilometers,
2) a speed that probably exceeds 10 Mach,
3) a capability to carry multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRV),
4) an extremely limited warning time for air defense systems,
5) a capability for conventional as well as nuclear configuration,
6) high maneuverability during the final phase of engagement,
7) and an operational capability to disrupt modern anti-missile shields. What causes the greatest concern to Western staffs is that the Oreshnik combines characteristics of a strategic missile with capabilities for rapid operational use.
Why it is considered so dangerous
In contrast to traditional ballistic missiles, hypersonic systems such as the Oreshnik move at speeds and trajectories that make their interception dramatically difficult. Most Western air defense systems — including Patriot and SAMP/T — were designed primarily for more predictable ballistic threats or aerial targets. The Oreshnik, according to military analyses, can change course during reentry, perform high-speed maneuvers, use multiple warheads, and load defense systems through simultaneous engagements. This means that even if a part of the warheads is intercepted, the remaining ones can pass through and strike critical targets.
Using Oreshnik has devastating effects on the morale of those targeted by it
— Patarames (@Pataramesh) May 24, 2026
You can ripple-fire Patriot PAC-3 against Iskander, but there are no means to defend against Oreshnik
Iran used Khorramshahr-4 against ?? which could not be defended against either
But...
1/2 pic.twitter.com/lsGBnkQmEq
The strategic message to Europe
The operational value of the Oreshnik is not limited to Ukraine. The real message of Moscow is addressed to European capitals and to NATO. With a range covering almost the whole of Europe, the Oreshnik functions as a reminder that Russia retains a capability for a strategic strike against critical military and industrial infrastructure of the West. It is not accidental that Russian officials have repeatedly warned that drone production facilities, logistics centers and military infrastructure in Europe can be considered legitimate targets if escalation continues.
A weapon of psychological warfare
Beyond its purely military dimension, the Oreshnik functions also as a weapon of psychological pressure. Each new operational use of it strengthens the image that Russia possesses technological systems against which the West does not yet have an effective answer. And this is perhaps the most important element. Because in modern geopolitical confrontation, the perception of strategic superiority is often just as important as military power itself.
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