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The new Russian Oreshnik ballistic missile is causing concern in NATO due to its characteristics. The nuclear potential of weapons is particularly dangerous, The Washington Post reports.
CNA security analyst Decker Evelet told reporters that the Russian Federation can destroy air bases and military facilities in a large area of Europe with just a few "Oreshniks". According to him, with a nuclear charge, this weapon can lead to colossal consequences.
"Probably, Oreshnik is capable of delivering six nuclear warheads to Europe in about 15-20 minutes, and due to the speed and trajectory of the missile, it will be extremely difficult to intercept it," he said.
Francois Diaz-Morin, assistant nuclear editor at the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, shared that countries have agreed not to build such missiles because they are considered too destabilizing.
"After launch, this rocket reaches European capitals in 12-16 minutes. This is very little time to have time to react, to detect it. Added to this is the possibility that several of them may have a nuclear warhead inside. This gives very little time to understand what is coming at you," he emphasized.
Diaz-Morin added that even as Europe realizes the need to defend itself, it is still unable to match Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has focused much of the Russian economy on war and arms production.
Alexander Graef, a senior researcher at the Institute for Peace and Security Policy Research in Hamburg, said that Europe is on the threshold of a "new missile era." He recalled that in July, the USA and Germany announced plans to rotate American medium-range missiles in Germany from 2026. This caused a negative reaction in Russia.
"We are in an arms race, and it will develop over the next 20 years. And I think what will happen is that different parties - Russia, European countries, the United States - will build up their arsenals, because they do not yet have enough weapons to effectively use them and destroy the many targets that may be there," - Graef explained.
Former Russian diplomat and expert on arms control and global security Borys Bondarev believes that NATO leaders have repeatedly backed down in the face of Putin's nuclear threats. He emphasized that Western officials often held back timely military supplies to Ukraine so that the Russian dictator would not lose the war.
"I don't think that Moscow's plans really include the resolution of a nuclear war. Fear remains a weapon. This is, above all, psychological warfare, and I think it is quite successful. This propaganda works. Basically, it's just a misunderstanding of how to deal with Vladimir Putin," said Bondarev.
According to him, Putin will not agree to a deal with the new US President Donald Trump if it does not give him a complete victory, including Ukraine's refusal to join NATO and keeping all occupied territories under its control. Bondarev warned that this could open the way for the head of the Kremlin to a future confrontation with Europe:
"He does not want to divide Ukraine. He wants to divide the world. He wants to have his own sphere of influence where no one, including the US, can enter without his permission. I don't know why the Americans don't see this, because if they go to an agreement with Putin, they will give him this victory."
"Oreshnik" rocket - important news
Previously, military expert Dmytro Snegiriov explained how the Patriot can effectively counter the Oreshnik. In his opinion, the reaction of the Western countries to the missile test was not what the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin had hoped for.
In addition, retired Lieutenant General Ihor Romanenko shared that the Russian Federation can hit Ukraine with 1-2 more "Oreshniks". He believes that it would be beneficial for the US to transfer its newest air defense system to our country to test it in real combat.
