Russia may launch Oreshnik ballistic missile in response to massive drone attacks on Moscow

Russia may strike Ukraine with the Oreshnik medium-range missile system in response to drone attacks on Moscow and the region, Andrey Kartapolov, the head of the State Duma Defense Committee said.

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Missile attack

"The decision rests with the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, but I think it wouldn’t hurt to launch Oreshnik, maybe even more than one," Kartapolov said.

In the early hours of March 11, Ukraine carried out a massive drone attack on Moscow, using unmanned aerial vehicles. As a result of air defense operations over Moscow and its suburban areas, 91 Ukrainian drones were shot down.

Also read: Where will the world go after Putin's Oreshnik missile on Ukraine?

Russia has already struck Ukraine with Oreshnik ballistic missile. In late November 2024, after Ukraine launched ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles deep into Russia, the Russian forces launched the medium-range Oreshnik missile to strike Ukraine. The strike was carried out targeting a military-industrial facility in Dnipro. The missile was launched from Russia's Astrakhan Oblast and reportedly carried a MIRV payload. Analyses indicated that the strike might not have involved active explosives, potentially serving as a political demonstration rather than a conventional military attack.