Ukraine Says January Oreshnik Was 9 Years Old and Built Only With Russian-Belarusian Parts
Updated
Updated · Reuters · May 29
Ukraine Says January Oreshnik Was 9 Years Old and Built Only With Russian-Belarusian Parts
9 articles · Updated · Reuters · May 29
A January Oreshnik missile recovered in Lviv was assembled in 2017 from components dated 2016 or earlier, Ukrainian forensic experts said after examining debris.
The finding undercuts Russia's portrayal of the nuclear-capable, 5,000-km missile as a cutting-edge weapon; Kyiv says it is likely a modernized RS-26 Rubezh first successfully tested in 2012.
At least three Oreshniks have hit Ukrainian territory, including a strike near Kyiv on May 24, and investigators are still studying fragments from the latest attack.
Vladyslav Vlasiuk, a sanctions adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said the January missile's surviving electronics were all Russian or Belarusian and that Russia is increasingly replacing Western parts with Chinese ones.
Ukraine is using the debris analysis to press Western allies to tighten enforcement against illicit electronics flows to Russia and Belarus.
Why does Russia's new hypersonic missile rely on decades-old Belarusian electronics?
With Western tech still fueling Russia's war, are sanctions merely a symbolic gesture?
As the US woos Lukashenko, is it ignoring his role in arming Russia?
Unprecedented May 24, 2026 Russian Strike on Ukraine: Oreshnik Missiles, Sanctions Evasion, and Belarus’s Support
Overview
On May 24, 2026, Russia launched a massive and unprecedented attack on Ukraine, striking 54 locations with missiles and drones. The assault caused widespread destruction in Kyiv, hitting civilian and commercial sites like supermarkets, shopping centers, and warehouses, while debris from intercepted projectiles damaged even more areas. Communities in Kyiv Oblast also suffered direct hits to homes and infrastructure. This devastating barrage not only caused immediate loss and displacement for residents but also highlighted the evolving tactics and capabilities of Russia’s military, as well as the ongoing challenges in enforcing international sanctions against its supply chains.