Oreshnik no longer intimidates Ukraine or Europe — Ohryzko
Electronic components recovered from Oreshnik debris (Photo: REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko)
Russia has few tools left to intimidate Ukraine and Europe,
with the Oreshnik
intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) having lost its “shock value” after
three uses, Volodymyr Ohryzko, head of the Center for Russia Studies and former
Ukrainian foreign minister, told NV Radio on June 25.
Ohryzko said the IRBM was initially effective in giving Ukraine and its European allies an impression that Moscow still has ways to escalate its violence.
"Oreshniks that hit garages [referring to May 2026 strike on Bila Tserkva, Kyiv Oblast]? You know, the shock we felt with the first and second [strikes] is gone. And it won’t return," he said.
"Ultimately, if Ukrainian drones can reach beyond the Urals, I think they can reach the launch sites of those Oreshniks as well. I have a feeling those will be among the many targets that will soon simply be destroyed."
On Moscow’s repeated threats to use nuclear weapons on the battlefield, Ohryzko said consultations with military officials convinced him there would be no strategic advantage.
"They say there is no strategic value in using tactical nuclear weapons,” the former minister said.
“Yes, it would be a very serious blow, but within a radius of 30 to 45 kilometers, no more. Yes, there would be casualties, contamination of the area and other obvious consequences. But it would not shatter the front, it would not cause the Ukrainian army to capitulate.”
"The international fallout for Russia would be
devastating, catastrophic, and final. Not only in the West, including President
Donald Trump, but also in the East, especially looking at Xi Jinping, Russia
would be turned away from."
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