What's New
A Russian TV host said "nothing will protect" the US and Europe from the Oreshnik, Vladimir Putin's new hypersonic ballistic missile, according to a post on X.
Anton Gerashchenko, the former deputy minister of internal affairs of Ukraine, posted a video of the Russian TV show Evening with Vladimir Solovyov on Russia-1, in which the host, Solovyov, and others spoke about Russia's relationship with NATO in the early to mid 2000s, particularly regarding tests comparing Moscow's missiles with others, as well as Putin's latest weapons.
Russian propagandists:
"There will be no experiments because their missile systems lose not only to our Oreshnik, but to all our missile systems.
Now the Europeans and Americans can sleep easy, nothing will protect them." pic.twitter.com/m0t7a1UKIG
Newsweek reached out to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation for comment via email.
Why It Matters
Solovyov's statement regarding the Oreshnik's power is significant as it is increasing already-high tensions with the U.S. and Europe.
What to Know
During the broadcast, retired Lieutenant-General Evgeny Buzhinsky, a pundit on Solovyov's show, spoke of conducting previous experiments to ascertain how Russian missiles compare with those from NATO members.
Regarding conducting similar experiments now, Solovyov said: "There will be no experiments because their missile systems lose not only to our Oreshnik, but to all our missile systems. Now the Europeans and Americans can sleep easy, nothing will protect them."
The Russian president introduced the Oreshnik, a hypersonic ballistic missile that has a range of up to 3,100 miles and has been described as a "modified RS-26 'Rubezh' intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM)" with a component of the Bulava missile, in an attack on Dnipro in late November. The missile can travel at high speeds, at 10 times the speed of sound, or Mach 10.
The weapon, its name meaning "the hazel," functions as Cold War-era multiple independently-targetable re-entry vehicle (MIRV) that can carry six warheads, which each deployed six sub-munitions when utilized in the attack in central Ukraine. As a hypersonic missile, it can maneuver mid-flight and carry out precision strikes on large amounts of territory, therefore executing larger attacks for Russia as it battles Ukraine, which now has authorization to utilize long-range weapons from the U.S.
This is not the first time that statements threatening the U.S. and Europe with the power of Russian weapons have been made on Solovyov's show, as the host said that Russia could hit Berlin with "special means" earlier this month. Solovyov is a pro-Kremlin propagandist who has been sanctioned by the U.K. and the European Union for "undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence of Ukraine."
Putin also spoke of the Oreshnik's capabilities, saying that it could remove the need for nuclear weapons due to its power, as its warheads could be as devastating as a nuclear strike.
What People Are Saying
In a post on X, Julia Davis, the creator of the Russian Media Monitor, posted a meme about what Vladimir Solovyov and his guests thought Russia "wants out of negotiations and how to achieve it" and wrote on an image of Solovyov: "Oreshnik and our troops in Berlin, Paris, and Lisbon."
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen whether Russia will deploy the Oreshnik again and if its power is as substantial as Solovyov and Putin make it out to be.
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