**Russia Utilizes Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile Against Ukrainian Target**

On November 21, 2024, Russia conducted its first operational deployment of an intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM) in an attack on a Ukrainian munitions factory in Dnipro. The missile, designated Oreshnik, traveled a distance of just over 800 km to reach its target, though IRBMs are typically designed to cover ranges between 3,000 and 5,500 km.

This marks the initial operational use of the Oreshnik missile system, which is speculated to be a variant of the Rubezh RS-26 ballistic missile first tested in 2011. Russia's exit from the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty in February 2019 lifted restrictions on the development and production of such missile systems, though the groundwork for Oreshnik seems to have been laid much earlier.

The Oreshnik missile carried a payload comprising 36 submunitions, organized into six groups of six warheads each. These submunitions are capable of hypersonic speeds, exceeding Mach 5, before impact. Such characteristics are common for both IRBM and intercontinental ballistic missile warheads during atmospheric re-entry.

Russia's deployment of this experimental system was likely intended as a strategic response to Ukraine's use of Western-supplied missiles within Russian territory. Current estimates suggest that Russia possesses only a limited number of operational Oreshnik missiles, which remain outside of mass production. The cost of these missiles is significantly higher than that of other missile types currently being used by Russia in its ongoing conflict with Ukraine.