In the escalating tensions of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, few weapons have captured the imagination – and the propaganda machine – like the Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile. Named after the Russian word for “hazelnut,” this hypersonic weapon was unveiled by Putin as an unbeatable “super weapon,” capable of striking European capitals in minutes and evading all known defenses.
Putin has repeatedly touted it as a symbol of Russia’s technological superiority, even announcing plans for mass production and deployment in allied Belarus. Yet, beneath the bravado lies a story of repeated failures, technical mishaps, and unfulfilled promises, exposing vulnerabilities in Russia’s military-industrial complex.
Let’s figure out the Oreshnik’s troubled journey, drawing on verified reports and analyses to reveal how Putin’s pride has been humbled by reality.
The Oreshnik missile emerged amid Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, positioned as a direct response to Western support for Kyiv, including the use of long-range missiles like “Storm Shadow” and ATACMS. Developed as a modified version of the RS-26 Rubezh intermediate-range ballistic missile (NATO designation: SS-X-31), the Oreshnik was reconfigured with reduced fuel to qualify as an Intermediate-range ballistic missile, skirting international arms control agreements on longer-range systems.
Putin described it as hypersonic, traveling at up to ten times the speed of sound), with the ability to carry nuclear warheads or kinetic projectiles that impact like a “meteorite,” generating temperatures up to 4,000 degrees Celsius – hotter than the sun’s surface.
Its range allows rapid strikes: from Belarus, it could reach London in about 8.8 minutes, Paris in 8.3 minutes, or Kyiv in under 3 minutes. Putin claimed it was “impossible to intercept,” a boast echoed by Russian state media, which warned of its potential to target NATO bases in Germany, Romania and beyond.
The missile’s first combat test occurred on November 21, 2024, when Russia launched a non-nuclear variant from the Kapustin Yar range in Astrakhan, targeting a defense plant in Dnipro, Ukraine. Footage showed six warheads striking nearby targets, and the Pentagon confirmed its very big speed, initially mistaking it for an intercontinental ballistic missile. But there was not that cosmic hypersonic speed stated by Putin.
By August 2025, Putin announced the start of mass production, framing it as a strategic deterrent against Western escalation. Plans to deploy it in Belarus further amplified its threat, reducing flight times to European targets and underscoring Putin’s reliance on such weapons to project power amid battlefield setbacks in Ukraine.
Despite the initial success in Dnipro, the Oreshnik’s record quickly unraveled. Just two days after the first launch, on November 23, 2024, a second attempt ended in failure. The missile – likely aimed at Kyiv or a site in the Carpathian Mountains near NATO borders – did not reach its target. It was a botched launch intended to demonstrate escalation, but details on the exact malfunction remain unclear. This early setback hinted at deeper issues showing that the missile might not be fully operational for another five to seven years.
In February 2025, reports surfaced of another failed launch targeting Kyiv. A heavy projectile was fired from Astrakhan but fell on Russian soil without advancing far. An air raid alarm sounded in Kyiv, but no impact occurred, and the alert was lifted after 31 minutes.
May 2025 brought more embarrassment. A reported second Oreshnik attempt failed to even lift off. By June 2025, a footage from Kazakhstan showed an object disintegrating in the sky, sparking rumors of a mid-flight Oreshnik failure. Kazakhstan’s defense ministry investigated, suggesting it could be spacecraft debris, a meteorite, or even remnants of a Chinese rocket – deeming a Russian missile unlikely due to mismatched trajectories. The incident fueled speculation, with some linking it to Russia’s response to Ukrainian drone strikes on air bases.
Further incidents compounded the narrative. In July 2025, a missile – reportedly Oreshnik – launched from Crimea toward Odessa lost stability mid-flight and crashed into the Black Sea.
Thus, in total, Oreshnik had suffered seven failed launches by early July 2025, underscoring systemic issues. These failures mirror problems in other Russian systems, such as the Sarmat ICBM’s dramatic explosion during a 2024 test and a Yars ICBM that failed to launch in May 2025.
The Oreshnik’s troubles have not gone unnoticed. Ukrainian officials have dismissed Russian threats as attempts to “terrorize” Kyiv, predicting failure. Belarusian dictator Lukashenko revealed that Putin rejected a proposal to strike Zelensky’s office with the missile, citing “No way” – interpreted by some as caution, but by others as doubt in its precision, with a circular error probable exceeding 3,500 meters. Oreshnik’s failures reflect Russia’s resource constraints and lack of confidence.
Oreshnik has become a punchline, showing its unreliability amid Putin’s hype. Broader critiques point to Russia’s military woes: stalled advances in Ukraine, the fall of ally Bashar al-Assad in Syria, and overreliance on propaganda. The Oreshnik’s story echoes Cold War-era arms races, where hyped weapons often masked underlying deficiencies.
So, what Putin presented as an invincible asset has instead highlighted Russia’s technological and operational shortcomings. As of August 2025, the Oreshnik remains more symbol than success – a hazelnut that has proven hard to crack, much to the chagrin of its proud architect. While mass production proceeds, the string of failures serves as a cautionary tale: in modern warfare, hype alone cannot guarantee victory.