Russia does not need 'new weapons' to strike Kyiv - military analyst
The Russian Oreshnik missile, used in a recent strike on Dnipro, is far from the "wunderwaffe" (wonder weapon) that Russia portrays it to be. Instead, it highlights Russia's weakness and its attempt to project greater power.
Julian Roepke, a German military analyst and columnist for Bild, said this in comments to Ukrinform.
"This is not a 'wonder weapon' at all. This old missile was used in such a way that it did not cause much destruction. I think it was more a sign of weakness, a desire to show that they [the Russians] have something different from what they usually use against you," Roepke said.
The columnist noted that fears about Russia bombing Kyiv's "decision-making centers" are justified. However, he believes the growing danger is not due to Russia having "new" weapons, but because it feels "backed into a corner" as Ukraine successfully strikes military targets inside Russia.
At the same time, the journalist noted that Russia does not need new weapons to strike Ukraine. It already has the capacity to deliver powerful strikes with existing missiles, particularly Iskander-M missiles or hypersonic weapons launched from MiG-31 jets.
Currently, Russia is threatening Kyiv with the Oreshnik, "an allegedly new missile that is not actually new but rather a shortened intercontinental ballistic missile designed to circumvent the INF Treaty (Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty)," Roepke said.
He stressed that the Oreshnik's 1.2-tonne warhead does have greater destructive potential than the half-tonne warhead of the Iskander, but the end result would be "virtually the same."
Roepke also emphasized that the strike on Dnipro with the Oreshnik is Russia's "propaganda weapon."
"This is a psychological attack on Ukraine: if you use ATACMS, Scalp and Storm Shadow, we will do even more terrible things than before. We have been hearing this propaganda, these threats, since last year the year before," Roepke said.
The expert suggested that while Russia has the capability to strike the center of Kyiv, it refrains "for good reasons," as such an act could prompt the West to stop restricting Ukraine from striking Moscow. He also recalled that Ukraine has already attacked central Moscow with drones.
"Ukraine can send 30-40-50 drones to the center of Moscow at any time. And maybe half of them could be intercepted, but the other half would hit Red Square," Roepke said.
He also noted that according to Ukrainian sources, the West is not enthusiastic about the idea of "bombing the Kremlin."
As reported, Ukraine launched a drone attack on Moscow on May 3, 2023, when a drone struck the Kremlin without causing much damage. Several other drone attacks on Moscow have occurred since, the most recent in November of this year.