On November 21, Russia launched an Oreshnik missile at the Ukrainian city of Dnipro, an attack that likely carried no explosive payload, according to German military analyst Julian Röpcke of Bild. The strike caused minimal damage, injuring three people and damaging a rehabilitation center and an industrial.facility. Analysts believe the missile, a modification of the RS-26 Rubezh, was equipped with a substitute payload mimicking the weight and size of a nuclear warhead.
"This was a propaganda and political action rather than a military one," Röpcke commented, emphasizing that the missile lacked both a nuclear charge and explosives.
A Symbolic Gesture or a Weapon Test?
President Vladimir Putin claimed the Oreshnik missile is a new intermediate-range ballistic weapon that cannot be countered by air defenses. He described the launch as a "test" with no nuclear warhead, underscoring its symbolic rather than tactical intent. Röpcke and other experts suggest the strike was designed to project strength and send a political message to Ukraine's Western allies, particularly the United States and NATO, rather than achieve military objectives.
Propaganda Over Military Credibility
The limited impact of the strike highlights Russia's use of dramatic but non-lethal displays to influence public perception, especially as Moscow faces increasing pressure on the battlefield. While the missile’s nuclear capability has been touted by the Kremlin, its ineffective use in this instance diminishes its military credibility, further exposing the action as a strategic propaganda effort.
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