Russia's missile test hints at potential Orieshnik launch
The airspace over one of Russia's main missile military test sites, Kapustin Yar in the Astrakhan region, will be closed this coming Monday and Tuesday. According to the Militarnyj and Ukrainska Pravda portals, this suggests the probable use of the Orieshnik ballistic missile by Russia, as reported on Saturday.
What do you need to know?
- When and where? The airspace over the Kapustin Yar test site in the Astrakhan region will be closed from Monday to Tuesday.
- Why is this important? The closure of airspace may indicate a planned test of the Orieshnik ballistic missile.
- What happened previously? A similar closure took place in November 2024, when Russia used the Orieshnik against Ukraine.
Why is Russia closing the airspace?
The airspace over the Kapustin Yar test site will be closed from 3 PM GMT on Monday to 1 PM on Tuesday. The ban covers all objects, and its upper limit in the airspace has not been specified. "It is considered significant that the ban applies to all objects and will be in effect from ground level," noted the Ukrainian media, citing an analysis of NOTAM dispatches.
Will Russia use the Orieshnik again?
The Orieshnik ballistic missile is a modification of the RS-26 Rubezh model, with a range of up to 5,500 kilometres. In November 2024, Russia used it against the Yuzhmash armament plants in Dnipro. "The use of the Orieshnik by Russia against Ukraine was mainly of psychological and propaganda significance," assessed the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
