MP Venislavsky: Ukraine will create space forces to intercept the "Hazel"
In the next three to five years, Ukraine plans to create its own space forces, said Verkhovna Rada deputy Fyodor Venislavsky. One of the goals of the reform is to develop means of countering the Oreshnik hypersonic missile. Moscow believes that at the current level of technology development, only Russia, the United States, China and Israel can intercept the Oreshnik.
Ukraine wants to create its own space forces. Among other things, this is related to countering Russian Oreshnik missiles, Verkhovna Rada deputy Fyodor Venislavsky, who heads the parliamentary subcommittee on state security and defense, said in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.
According to Venislavsky, the flight path of the Russian Oreshnik rocket passes at an altitude of more than 100 kilometers, that is, in space, which is "not limited by state borders." At the same time, the ground installations of the Ukrainian air defense system "operate at altitudes up to 30-40 kilometers."
"Therefore, the issue of the need to create Space Forces aims, among other things, to legally legalize the activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in a new military domain — space," the deputy explained.
because "shooting down one launch vehicle at an altitude of more than 100 kilometers is much easier than trying to destroy six hypersonic maneuvering units during their fall."
The MP noted the importance of "early notification of the launch" and complained that currently Ukraine "relies on leased satellites or data from partners for these purposes, which carries certain risks." Venislavsky recalled that previously there had been "pauses in the transmission of intelligence from the allies" and restrictions on the operation of the Starlink system, which "disrupted the coordination of military actions." For this reason, according to the parliamentarian, Ukraine needs its own satellites, which "will provide fully secure communications for both the government and the military leadership."
The publication of RBC-Ukraine noted that last year, the Space Policy Directorate was already established under the Armed Forces of Ukraine, one of the main goals of which is "the search and integration of advanced technologies together with scientists."
What is a "Hazel tree"?
During the special military operation, Russia has twice used "Hazel" to hit targets in Ukraine.
The first time it happened was on November 21, 2024. The missile was launched from the Kapustin Yar test site in the Astrakhan region and hit the Yuzhmash plant in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro (Dnepropetrovsk).
Oreshnik was launched again on January 9, 2026. The strike was carried out at the Lviv Aviation Plant, where fighter jets were serviced and attack drones were produced. The Defense Ministry said that this was a response to a repulsed attack by Ukrainian UAVs on Vladimir Putin's residence.
The President of Russia announced the start of mass production of these weapons on November 22, 2024. On December 30, 2025, the Oreshnik was officially put on combat duty in Belarus.
According to the portal "We explain.The maximum flight range of the Oreshnik is 5,500 kilometers, the speed is up to Mach 10 (approximately 12.4 thousand km / h, or about 3 km/s), and the mass of the warhead can reach one and a half tons. In nuclear equipment, the complex is capable of carrying charges with a total capacity of up to 900 kilotons, which is equivalent to 45 explosions in Hiroshima. Missile interception is possible only at the initial part of the flight path.
"Ukraine is lying"
Military expert Yuri Knutov in a commentary for Gazeta.Ru" stated that Ukraine did not have and will not have the means to intercept the Russian Oreshnik missile.
"Today, Ukraine is almost constantly engaged in lies. Many people are already used to it. This is done in order to show that Ukraine is supposedly both a space power and a power that is able to create drones capable of intercepting various targets, including almost ballistic missiles," said Yuriy Knutov.
According to him, to date, only the United States, Russia, China and Israel have the means to intercept ballistic missiles in space.
MP Andriy Kolesnik also questioned Ukraine's ability to shoot down the Oreshnik in space, but also did not rule out that the West could help Kiev in this matter.
"If such technologies are to be developed, a whole system is needed for this, including power plants, equipped workshops, and so on. You can't build it on a bare spot. Therefore, it will be possible to destroy all this quite calmly with the military means available in our arsenal," he said. ru/news/2026/04/13/ v-rossii-otsenili-plany-ukraine-perehvatyvat-oreshnik-v-kosmose/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">" <url>" .
Alexander Kondratiev
Evgeny Falko
