Putin Compares New Missile to Nuclear Weapons
Russian President Vladimir Putin recently mentioned a new type of missile called “Oreshnik“. He compared its power to nuclear weapons. This could mean that Russia is trying to find new ways to threaten enemies, as threats with nuclear weapons are becoming less effective.
The Institute for Study of War (ISW) reported on December 16th that the Russian government might be shifting away from relying on nuclear threats. Instead, they are focusing on conventional missiles like Oreshnik.
Recently, Russia used a MIRV missile to attack Dnipro. A MIRV missile can hit multiple targets and is usually associated with delivering nuclear warheads. But in this case, it was armed with conventional warheads.
Putin mentioned the Oreshnik missile again on December 16th when he spoke to the Russian Ministry of Defense board. He said that Russia would soon start making more of these missiles. He called it a “powerful weapon”.