Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that he could use the new hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile “Oresnik” to strike decision-making bases in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. According to reports from TASS and other sources on the 28th (local time), during a Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan, President Putin stated that Russia would respond to Ukraine’s attack on Russian territory with Western-made long-range missiles. He mentioned that the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff are currently selecting targets for strikes, which could include military facilities, defense industry facilities, or decision-making bases in Kyiv. Although he did not specify particular examples, it is presumed these could include presidential offices, the Ministry of Defense, or military command facilities.
Until now, key governmental facilities in Kyiv have not suffered significant damage, thanks to air defense systems. However, the Russian side claims that Ukraine’s air defense system cannot intercept the new Oresnik missile. Putin emphasized that there will certainly be a response to attacks on Russian territory and noted that over the past two days, a comprehensive attack was conducted on Ukraine using 100 different systems, missiles, and 466 drones.
In a press conference concluding his state visit to Kazakhstan, Putin was questioned about the possibility of using weapons like the Oresnik to attack decision-making bases in Kyiv. He responded that “everything is possible.” He reminded attendees of the continuous attempts by Ukraine to attack important facilities in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and elsewhere.
He also highlighted the power of the Oresnik, stating, “Everything in the center turns to ashes. Facilities underground at depths of three to four stories, and even those below that, are hit.” Earlier, Russia launched the new missile on the 21st in response to Ukraine using US-supplied ATACMS and UK-supplied Storm Shadow (French name SCALP) missiles to attack Russian territories. At that time, President Putin described the Oresnik as reaching targets at a speed of Mach 10, rendering Western missile defense useless.
On the same day, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the destruction of five ATACMS launchers located in Sumy, Kursk region, near Russia’s western border, using Iskander ballistic missiles. Specifically, they reported the elimination of two multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) and one mobile reloading vehicle near the Tokari village, as well as three high-mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS) near the Mali Bobrik village, claiming up to 30 personnel related to the launchers were killed in the attack.
During the CSTO meeting, President Putin referred to the Iskander missile as Russia’s long-range missile in response to the US ATACMS. He also mentioned that Russia’s air-launched missile, X-101, counters the UK’s Storm Shadow, France’s SCALP, and Germany’s Taurus, noting that while Russian missiles are similar in power to Western missiles, they have a longer range.