Ukrainian experts have revealed the true origin of the Oreshnik missile
The Russian "Oreshnik" missile, which the Kremlin has been touting as a groundbreaking modern weapon, has in fact turned out to be significantly older and technologically simpler than claimed. An examination of the debris revealed that it contains mostly Russian and Belarusian components, and the design itself is based on modernized Soviet technology. This was reported by Reuters.
Ukrainian forensic experts and missile technology specialists examined the surviving electronics after the strike on Ukraine and reached a fairly clear conclusion: the “novelty” of this weapon is greatly exaggerated.
In fact, this is not a revolutionary design, but a heavily modernized version of the Soviet-Russian RS-26 “Rubizh” missile, the first tests of which took place over ten years ago. According to experts, some of the electronic components are marked with dates from 2016–2017, which directly indicates that this is not a “new” development, as Russian official statements claim.
One of the experts who participated in the study said: “We were quite surprised, because the Russians claim that this is a completely new missile. But if you look at the markings and the year of manufacture on the electronic circuit boards, 2017 is clearly indicated there. The component base itself was manufactured in 2016 or even earlier. And most importantly—all components were produced exclusively in Russia or its ally Belarus.”
According to investigators, the “Oreshnik” has already been used against Ukraine at least several times since 2024. One of the strikes, it is claimed, hit an area near Kyiv during a massive attack on May 24. The examination of the debris is currently underway in secure laboratories, where specialists are analyzing new samples of electronics and structural components.
Ukrainian experts tend to believe that the “Oreshnik” is not a fundamentally new type of weapon, but rather a deep modernization of an old Soviet design incorporating modern upgrades.
At the same time, in its propaganda statements, Russia presents the missile as a medium-range intercontinental system with allegedly “unique characteristics,” including the ability to evade modern air defense systems. However, the results of the debris analysis paint a different picture—a gradual update of old technologies rather than the creation of fundamentally new solutions.
Separately, experts draw attention to the origin of the electronic components. In the specific sample examined, no Western microchips were found—only Russian and Belarusian parts. However, experts explain this by the fact that the missile may have been assembled before the tightening of technology sanctions against Russia.
At the same time, the situation is changing in newer models of Russian weapons—there, American components are increasingly being replaced with Chinese equivalents, which allow for circumventing export restrictions.
Despite the Kremlin’s grandiose claims about the “uniqueness” of the new missile, actual data from the debris tells a different story—it is more likely a modernized Soviet platform than a fundamentally new weapon. The Ukrainian side continues to share this data with its partners and calls for tighter controls on the supply of microelectronics that could be used in Russian military systems.
