Latest news with #Oreshnik
Asia Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Asia Times
Why Russia may soon shoot more hypersonic Oreshniks at Ukraine
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's revelation that the West has removed all restrictions on the range of weapons it supplies to Ukraine evoked a sense of deja vu from late last year. Russia warned them against doing this at the time, but the moment of truth finally arrived once they defied it. That's when Russian President Vladimir Putin climbed the escalation ladder by authorizing the use of a hitherto top-secret hypersonic medium-range Oreshnik missile against Ukraine. History might therefore be about to repeat itself. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the West's reported decision as 'quite dangerous', while Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov assessed that it was evidently 'made quite some time ago and kept under wraps', which aligns with what Merz himself later claimed when clarifying his comments. Nevertheless, this policy has yet to result in any strategically significant attacks, let alone reshape the conflict's dynamics in Ukraine's favor. If that changes, however, Russia might deploy more Oreshniks, enabling more potent attacks on strategic targets. This could happen even in the absence of those two scenario triggers. Trump ominously posted on Tuesday that 'What Vladimir Putin doesn't realize is that if it weren't for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD. He's playing with fire!' This follows his post about how '[Putin] has gone absolutely CRAZY!', which was analyzed here as proof of him being maliciously misinformed by his trusted advisors and/or him creating the pretext for US escalation. It's therefore clear that Trump is preparing for the possibility that peace talks might soon collapse, in advance of which he's trying to spin a self-serving narrative. By denigrating Putin as 'crazy' and implying that 'bad BAD' might soon happen to Russia, Trump is signaling tacit approval of forthcoming Ukrainian provocations. Other than the use of long-range American missiles against strategic targets, this could take the form of a nationwide assassination-terrorism campaign. It shouldn't be forgotten that Russia blamed Ukraine for the spring 2024 Crocus terrorist attack, accused it of plotting to assassinate Putin during last July's Naval Day parade in St Petersburg and just revealed that a swarm of Ukrainian drones tried to take down his helicopter during last week's visit to Kursk. Moreover, Trump was suspiciously silent after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky implicitly threatened to attack Moscow's Victory Day parade, so it's possible that he might finally 'let Ukraine loose' even if he walks away from the conflict. In the event that Ukraine's long-range Western missiles strike strategically significant targets and/or a nationwide assassination-terrorism campaign is commenced, especially if there's any credible threat to Putin or other senior officials, then Russia might retaliate by dropping more Oreshniks. It's holding back for the time being, apparently to avoid provoking Trump into crossing the Rubicon through the abovementioned means, but it'll have no more reason to remain restrained if he ends up doing that first. All told, Russian-US relations could soon deteriorate depending on what Ukraine does, especially if the Kremlin concludes that it's with a wink and a nod from America. There's no way that Russia won't respond if Ukraine escalates the conflict. This could likely take the form of more Oreshnik strikes, which Trump could in turn exploit as a pretext for further direct US escalation. Step by step, Trump is turning 'Sleepy Joe Biden's War' into his own, exactly as his former advisor Steve Bannon warned him not to do. This article was first published on Andrew Korybko's Substack and is republished with kind permission. Become an Andrew Korybko Newsletter subscriber here.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Russia to deploy Oreshnik missile systems to Belarus by end of 2025, official says
Moscow is planning to deploy multiple Oreshnik missile systems to Belarus by the end of 2025, State Secretary of Belarus' Security Council Alexander Volfovich said on May 28. The "Oreshnik" is an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) that Russia touts as an experimental weapon capable of bypassing advanced air defense systems. In December 2024, Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko requested Moscow deploy 10 Russian Oreshnik missile systems in Belarus, pro-Kremlin journalist Alexander Yunashev reported on his Telegram channel. "The locations for its deployment have already been determined," Volfovich said, without specifying how many missile systems would be deployed. The Kyiv Independent cannot verify claims made by Belarusian officials. On Nov. 21, 2024, Russia launched an Oreshnik missile against the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. The Oreshnik missile is designed to carry nuclear weapons, however, the missile was not armed with a nuclear warhead during the attack. Russia launched the Oreshnik missile against Ukraine following Kyiv's first successful use of U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles on a military target in Russia. Moscow later acknowledged additional ATACMS strikes on targets in Kursk and Bryansk oblasts. While Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed Russia has begun mass production of the Oreshnik, a U.S. official told The Kyiv Independent that Moscow likely possesses "only a handful" of these experimental missiles. Belarus has been a key ally to Moscow and has previously been reported as hosting Russian tactical nuclear arms on its territory, after the two countries signed an agreement in May 2023. Lukashenko said in December 2023 that the transfer of Russian nuclear weapons to Belarus was completed in early October. Despite the claims, Ukrainian foreign intelligence chief Oleh Ivashchenko said in an interview with Ukrinform published on May 26 that Belarus possesses nuclear weapon delivery systems but no warheads. Read also: Belarus has nuclear weapon delivery systems but no Russian warheads, Ukrainian intel chief says We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Belarus has nuclear weapon delivery systems but no Russian warheads, Ukrainian intel chief says
Belarus possesses nuclear weapon delivery systems but no warheads, Ukrainian foreign intelligence (SZRU) chief Oleh Ivashchenko said in an interview with Ukrinform published on May 26. Belarus has been a key ally to Moscow and has previously been reported as hosting Russian tactical nuclear arms on its territory, after the two countries signed an agreement in May 2023. Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko said in December of the same year that the transfer of Russian nuclear weapons to Belarus was completed in early October. But according to Ivashchenko, at the present time Belarus does not possess any nuclear weapons. "There are no warheads. They are setting up storage facilities, preparing, and building. Lukashenko says they will have Oreshnik by the end of the year. But this looks like wishful thinking. As of today, there is nothing like that, and it is unlikely that it will happen," Ivashchenko said. Russia and Belarus have deepened nuclear cooperation since the start of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. They held the second stage of tactical weapons nuclear drills, amid escalating tensions between Moscow and the West, the Kremlin's Defense Ministry said in June, 2024. The first stage of the exercises, which were ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 6, 2024, involved missile units in Russia's Southern Military District, including the occupied territories of Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly made nuclear threats against Ukraine and the West since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. The threats have failed to materialize, and Russia continues to wage its all-out war without using its nuclear arsenal. Read also: Secret note reveals Russia using Telegram bots to control drones attacking Ukraine, Economist reports We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
There are no nuclear weapons or Oreshnik intercontinental ballistic missiles in Belarus, Ukrainian intelligence says
Oleh Ivashchenko, Head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service, has said that nuclear weapons carriers are located on Belarusian territory but there are no actual nuclear weapons there, and the same applies to Oreshnik intercontinental ballistic missile systems. Source: Ivashchenko in an interview with Ukrinform Quote: "The carriers [of the nuclear weapons] are there. That's true. There are jets, there are Iskander missile systems. But there are no nuclear weapons in Belarus. That's a fact." Details: Ivashchenko noted that storage facilities were being set up, preparations were underway, and construction was taking place in Belarus. "Lukashenko says that they will have the Oreshnik systems by the end of the year. But this seems to be wishful thinking. As of today, there is nothing of the sort, and it is unlikely that anything will appear," Ivashchenko said. Background: In May 2023, the defence ministers of Russia and Belarus signed documents on the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory. The following month, Russian ruler Vladimir Putin said that part of Russia's nuclear weapons were already in Belarus. At the end of June 2023, self-proclaimed Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko ordered the development of an algorithm for the use of nuclear weapons deployed by Russia. In January 2025, Lukashenko said that Belarus would receive the Oreshnik missile system from Russia very soon. He also said that Belarus would initially receive 10 Oreshnik missile systems from Russia, but that this number could be increased if Russia so desired. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Newsweek
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Trump Complains About 'Stolen' Hypersonic Rockets During West Point Address
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. President Donald Trump took a swipe at Russia and former President Barack Obama during his speech at West Point's commencement ceremony on Saturday and claimed that the United States had invented the hypersonic missile and that it had been "stolen" by adversaries. Why It Matters Hypersonic weapons, which reach top speeds multiple times of the speed of sound, have proven to be a pacing challenge for the U.S. as China demonstrated the capability to develop and utilize such weapons in recent years. A test in 2022 by Beijing caught U.S. military command by surprise, according to reports by the Financial Times. Military command had for years suggested that the U.S. needed to invest not only in hypersonic weapons but also hypersonic defenses. They routinely cite China as a pacing challenge, which means that the U.S. has a gap with Beijing, but that gap is rapidly closing. In November 2024, Russia demonstrated the capabilities of its own hypersonic missile with an attack on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro, going on television shortly afterwards to boast about the weapons capabilities. Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed the Oreshnik missile hit Mach 10 and that it is immune to any missile defense system. What To Know Trump gave the commencement address at the 2025 West Point graduation ceremony in New York, with the bulk of his address focusing on the U.S. Army and the academy's many achievements. One notable claim Trump made during his speech focused on hypersonic weapons, which he mentioned in relation to a project completed by eight West Point cadets in which they designed and launched a hypersonic rocket to an altitude of just under 150 kilometers (roughly 93 miles). "Eight cadets here today took on the challenge of designing their own hypersonic rocket," Trump said. "Oh, we can use you building them right now. You know, we had ours stolen. We are the designer of it. We had it stolen during the Obama administration. They saw—you know who stole it? The Russians stole it. Something bad happened." The president added: "But we're now, we're the designer of it. We're now building them, and lots of them, and earlier this year, they launched it into space, setting a world record for amateur rocketry. Can't get you in there fast enough." The cadets participated in the SPEAR program which started in 2018 and is "one of the most ambitious undergraduate rocketry programs in the nation," according to West Point. The academy describes the problem as an initiative that provides cadets with "real-world experience in high-tech combat environments," aiming to "foster understanding of the Department of Defense's capabilities." Russia has demonstrated the use of a hypersonic weapon, but the Pentagon determined the Oreshnik missile was an experimental type of ballistic missile based on Russia's RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). In January, just days after taking office for his second term, Trump accused Russia of stealing the designs for their rockets from the U.S., telling Fox News host Sean Hannity that "some bad person gave them the designs." "Russia stole the design, they got it from us," Trump said, but he said the U.S. is developing "super hypersonic is even a step better." The president offered no evidence to back up this claim. Graduating cadet Chris Verdugo speaks as President Donald Trump reacts during the 2025 US Military Academy Graduation Ceremony at West Point, New York, on May 24. Graduating cadet Chris Verdugo speaks as President Donald Trump reacts during the 2025 US Military Academy Graduation Ceremony at West Point, New York, on May 24. Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images Praise for the Army: 'I Rebuilt It' Trump discussed his efforts to remake and improve upon the military, citing his increased budget of about $1 trillion, and talking about how he "rebuilt" the Army. "Every cadet on the field before me should savor this morning, because this is a day that you will never, ever forget in a few moments, you will become graduates of the most elite and storied military academy in human history, and you will become officers in the greatest and most powerful Army the world has ever known. And I know because I rebuilt that Army, and I rebuilt the military," Trump said. "And we rebuilt it like nobody has ever rebuilt it before, in my first term," he added. According to the Trump White House Archives, which detail aspects of his first term, Trump revitalized the defense industrial base, secured pay increases for troops, and created the Space Force, expanding the military's scope and operations. This included $2.2 trillion in spending over his first four years, with $738 billion spent in 2020; modernizing the nuclear and missile defenses; and upgrading cyber defenses by elevating Cyber Command to a major warfighting command. According to Newsweek reporting at the time, however, the military received pay increases every year, ranging from 1 to 2.9 percent, with the last year missing a pay increase occurring in 1983 because a change of date for when that would occur. A report from Politico in 2020 credited Trump with overseeing "historic increases in defense budgets," installing a number of defense industry insiders to top Pentagon positions and making a major push to sell more American weapons overseas, including more than $55.6 billion in foreign weapon sales in 2018, an increase of $20 billion over his first year in office. This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
