The "Oreshnik" strike is comparable to an attack by 36 reinforced "Shaheds" – Defense Express
Kyiv • UNN
The publication notes that Russian propaganda actively promoted the thesis of the allegedly super-powerful "kinetic" destructiveness of the "Oreshnik" and the use of special "tungsten rods."
Defense Express has calculated that the overall strike of 36 submunitions from the Russian "Oreshnik" intermediate-range ballistic missile can be tentatively compared to an attack by 36 Shahed drones with enhanced warheads, although the nature of the damage caused by these types of weapons differs significantly. This was reported by Defense Express, according to UNN.
The myth of the "kinetic" superweapon
The publication notes that Russian propaganda actively promoted the thesis of the allegedly super-powerful "kinetic" destructiveness of the "Oreshnik" and the use of special "tungsten rods" capable of penetrating underground shelters.
However, the results of the investigation at the strike site in Bila Tserkva, as well as previous strikes on Dnipro and Lviv, do not confirm these claims.
After the third use of the "Oreshnik" IRBM without any significant consequences, even citizens of the Russian Federation have begun to doubt the Kremlin's propaganda regarding the "unparalleled" nature of this weapon
What consequences the strike left behind
According to the publication, the craters following the impact of the warhead units in Bila Tserkva were up to three meters in diameter and about two meters deep.
Due to the enormous energy of the impact, the warhead units themselves were almost completely destroyed, which complicates the determination of their exact design.
Analysts estimate the impact energy of a single unit at approximately 220–400 megajoules, which corresponds to the explosion of 52–95 kilograms of TNT.
Russia produces the "Oreshnik" significantly slower than "Shaheds"
Defense Express also drew attention to the difference in the production rates of Russian weapons.
According to analysts' estimates, in 2026, Russia plans to manufacture only about five "Oreshnik" missiles, at a rate of one missile every 2–2.5 months.
At the same time, it takes Russia approximately only eight hours to produce 36 Shahed drones.