Ever since it was first fired on Nov. 21, there has been much discussion about the Russians’ hypersonic IRBM, the Oreshnik system. From the outset, President Vladimir Putin explained that the Mach 10 missile could not be stopped by any existing Western missile defense system, and that it struck the ground with such velocity that its impact was “like that of a meteorite.” He also stressed that, with different possible payloads and using multiple missiles at a time, it had the dissuasive power of a nuclear weapon, although without using an actual nuclear device.
On Dec. 10, at a meeting of Russia’s Council for Civil Society and Human Rights, Putin briefly described the Oreshnik again, as transcribed on the President’s website.
“You mentioned toughening the nuclear doctrine. We are not toughening the nuclear doctrine. We are upgrading it. And generally speaking, we need to improve Oreshnik rather than the nuclear doctrine. When you think about it, the advancement of modern weapon systems has almost eliminated the necessity for the use of nuclear weapons. This is why we are rather careful across all sectors. I would even say we are restrained. But where it is necessary, we show the will at the state level and at the level of Russian citizens who live here and consider Russia their Motherland, and are willing to do everything for it to grow stronger.”
