Vladimir Putin provided an unexpected explanation regarding the use of the «Oreshnik» ballistic missile against Ukrainian territory. The Russian leader stated that the strike on garages in Bila Tserkva and facilities in the Donetsk region was not combat use in the full sense of the word, but rather a test of the weapon's effectiveness.
«A Convenient Place for Observation»
According to reports from TASS and Interfax, cited by RBC-Ukraine, Putin characterized the targets of the attack as «sheds». In his words, the choice of the strike location was dictated by the need to visually assess the results of the shrapnel and block dispersion.
«We have tested similar systems at test ranges, but we have not tested «Oreshnik». This is not combat use. In fact, we have not had a single instance of combat use of «Oreshnik» in the full sense of the word on Ukrainian territory», — emphasized the President of the Russian Federation.
Putin noted that such a test concerns both Bila Tserkva and the area of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) located within the perimeter of the main fortifications. In his opinion, this is necessary to understand the tactics of future use of this weapon system.
Scale of the Night Attack
The Russian leader's words came against the backdrop of data regarding a massive combined strike carried out by Russia in the night of May 24. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, the enemy used 90 missiles and 600 unmanned aerial vehicles of various types. Among them were «Oreshnik» ballistic missiles.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy clarified the details of the use of this type of weapon: two «Oreshnik» missiles were launched that night. One of them hit facilities in Bila Tserkva, while the second fell on the temporarily occupied territory of the Donetsk region.
Questions Regarding Effectiveness and Production
The events surrounding the use of «Oreshnik» have caused a wide resonance, especially in the context of Russian propaganda statements. Official Russian sources previously attributed colossal destructive power to this missile and the ability to destroy deeply buried objects. However, the actual results of the strikes and data from independent studies cast doubt on such claims.
Experts also note that Russia may have moved to small-scale production of «Oreshnik» ballistic missiles. Despite this, the number of such units in the arsenal of the Russian Armed Forces remains insignificant, confirming the thesis that the system is in the stage of active development and testing.