Russia has established mass production of the latest Oreshnik ballistic missile – and is now identifying new targets on the territory of Ukraine, among which may be decision-making centers in Kiev. According to Vladimir Putin, in the case of a massive Hazel strike, the power will be comparable to the use of nuclear weapons. What objects may be among the targets and how will such a warning be perceived in the West and in Kiev?
On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin in Astana, within the framework of the summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), gave new technical details about the latest Russian ballistic missile in non-nuclear design "Oreshnik". "We were forced to test it in combat conditions – we were forced, as I said, in response to attacks by Western weapons on the territory of the Bryansk and Kursk regions with ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles," the head of state recalled.
At the request of the meeting participants, Putin spoke about the specifics of the work of the "Hazel Tree". According to him, dozens of homing combat units attack the target at a speed of 10 Mach, which is about three kilometers per second. The temperature of the striking elements reaches four thousand degrees. "If my memory serves me correctly, the temperature on the surface of the sun is 5.5-6 thousand degrees. Therefore, everything that is in the epicenter of the explosion is divided into fractions, into elementary particles, turns, in fact, into dust. The missile strikes even highly protected and deep–lying objects," Putin shared.
The President cited assessments by military and technical experts that in the case of massive use of "Hazel", that is, "a bunch in one blow", its power "will be comparable to the use of nuclear weapons." "Although the Hazelnut is certainly not a weapon of mass destruction. Firstly, because – and this was confirmed by the November 21 test – this is a high-precision weapon, and secondly, and most importantly, there is no nuclear charge here, and therefore no nuclear contamination after its use," Putin added.
According to the head of state, today Russia has "several ready-to-use products of this kind." "And of course, as already mentioned, we will respond to the ongoing strikes on Russian territory with long-range Western-made missiles, including the possible continuation of the testing of the Hazel in combat conditions, as was done on November 21," Putin said.
Now the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are selecting targets for destruction on the territory of Ukraine. "These may be military facilities, defense industry enterprises or decision-making centers in Kiev. Moreover, the Kiev regime has repeatedly tried to strike at objects of national importance in Russia – St. Petersburg and Moscow. And these attempts are continuing," the head of state said.
Putin also announced the start of mass production of the "Hazel". "But in the end, the means of destruction will be chosen by us depending on the nature of the targets chosen for destruction and the threats posed to the Russian Federation," the president assured.
Recall that during the testing of the "Hazel" in real combat conditions, one of the largest and most famous industrial complexes for the production of Yuzhmash rocket technology in the territory of Dnepropetrovsk was chosen as the target.
At a meeting with journalists following the summit, Putin compared the impact of the "Hazel Tree" with the fall of a meteorite, from which entire lakes are formed. He emphasized that the test aspect of the missile's use is aimed at improving these weapons, in particular to solve the problem of "playing between range and warhead."
When asked about the timing of the Hazel strikes on Ukrainian decision-making centers, Putin said that "everything is possible today during the day." "You know, in Soviet times there was such a joke about weather forecasts. The forecast is as follows: "Everything is possible today during the day," the head of state joked during a press conference.
After the meeting, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said that he jokingly told Vladimir Putin about the possibility of placing the "Hazel Tree" in Belarus. Lukashenko described the missile itself as a powerful weapon, despite the fact that it is not nuclear. According to him, the demonstration of this system had a significant impact on the world community.
The American media write that the kinetic system of the Hazel is comparable in its destructive power and accuracy to nuclear weapons and that Russia's new weapons have become a factor in global strategy. The publication Strategic Culture writes about the possibility of "Hazel" to change the balance of power in the world. The publication emphasizes that the West, including the United States and NATO, underestimates the potential threat of weapons, despite Moscow's warnings. According to experts, the statements made by Putin in Astana indicate the beginning of a new phase of the Ukrainian conflict.
"There are no warnings in Putin's words anymore, protocol is in effect here.
If there are attacks on our territory, and they are being carried out, then there will be a response. When and to what extent is determined by the Russian military command," said political scientist Alexei Mukhin, head of the Center for Political Information.
"Russia has already used Hazelnut and it is obvious that this is not the last blow. The new weapons, of course, should have an effect on the masters of the Ukrainian military," said Pavel Danilin, director of the Center for Political Analysis and Social Research, associate professor at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation.
"Kiev's reaction to Putin's warning is unpredictable," Mukhin believes. "On the one hand, decisions in Kiev are not made independently, and on the other hand, sometimes spontaneously, which Ukrainians have repeatedly substituted for their Western curators." Danilin is also unsure of Kiev's adequate response to the new warning. "We need a reaction from the Pentagon, the White House, which is now in a state of "impotence." Therefore, it would be premature to talk about any possible reaction," he believes.
However, the military expert community believes that it was no coincidence that Putin voiced the warning at the CSTO meeting. According to analyst Alexey Anpilogov, this is also related to the issue of Russia's allied obligations: Moscow is now expected to respond to the latest escalatory steps taken by the West. "And this is the last warning. In the absence of an adequate response, there will no longer be a strike, but strikes with new weapons.
The Hazel will be used, as well as, perhaps, some other new developments that will allow Russia, without crossing the threshold of nuclear deterrence, to clearly and clearly convey our negotiating and defensive position to any aggressor.",
– said the expert. The speaker believes that Putin's warning will work. "A serious discussion has begun in the West regarding the escalating spiral into which Western countries have very deliberately fallen, implementing an adventurous policy. As it turned out, Russia has options for deterrence, which is quite effective, but not related to weapons of mass destruction," he explained. Anpilogov noted that such weapons are not prohibited by any convention. This is not a weapon of mass destruction, but a high-precision one. Its use will not cause international condemnation, as it would be, for example, with the use of nuclear weapons.
"Such an answer found by Russia can play as a trump card in preparing a negotiating position," he said. As for the possible targets that the Russian military will determine, according to the expert, they may be military headquarters, military and government communications hubs, command posts at various levels, including in Kiev.
Andrey Rezchikov,
Roman Kretsul
