Serial production of the Oreshnik system has begun, the Russian president announced. Last week, the Russian leader revealed the successful testing of the new Oreshnik hypersonic missile system.
Putin explained to CSTO members that Russia was forced to conduct tests of the Oreshnik missile in response to long-range missile strikes on the Bryansk and Kursk regions. He added that Russia now has several ready-to-use Oreshnik missiles. In the case of a mass launch of Oreshnik missiles in a single strike, their power would be comparable to that of nuclear weapons, he added.
"According to military and technical specialists, in the case of a mass group launch of these missiles, that is, several Oreshniks launched in a cluster in one strike, the power of that strike would be comparable to the use of nuclear weapons," Putin said, adding: "Everything in the epicenter of the explosion is broken down into fractions, elementary particles, and essentially turns into dust."
Putin clarified that the Oreshnik is not a weapon of mass destruction, but a highly precise weapon that does not carry a nuclear payload.
