Russia's demand for retribution: Putin urged to use Oreshnik
The chairman of the Russian State Duma defence committee, Andrei Kartapolov, has called on Vladimir Putin for a retaliatory attack on Ukraine following what he described as the most significant drone raid on Moscow since the onset of the war, reports the United24 Media portal, citing The Moscow Times. "They must be crushed," remarked the politician.
Andrei Kartapolov urged Vladimir Putin to launch a retaliatory attack on Ukraine. He claims the drone attack on Moscow was a "propaganda act" by Kyiv. Kartapolov suggested employing the Oreshnik missile system. "The decision will be made by the Supreme Commander, but I think launching Oreshnik, and not just one, wouldn't hurt", stated the Russian politician.
Drone attack on Moscow
Please note that, according to the Russian Ministry of Defence, Ukrainian forces launched 337 drones towards Russia during the night of 10th to 11th March. Of these, 91 were shot down over the Moscow region.
In response to the Ukrainian strike on Moscow, Kartapolov suggested the drone attack had no military objective and merely coincided with the USA-Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia. "They want to show off, so they must be crushed", stated the Russian. The politician calls for a retaliatory strike on Ukraine, specifically mentioning the use of the Oreshnik system.
Oreshnik system
It's worth recalling that in December 2024, Ukrainians reported finding parts with numbers suggesting that the missile contained elements manufactured as far back as April 2017 in the discovered fragments of Oreshnik debris (from the attack carried out in November). This information may raise valid doubts about the Russian assurances regarding the modernity of the technology used in this weapon.
Detailed technical data regarding the Oreshnik missiles is still lacking. Assuming this technology is based on the RS-26 system, the missile's initial launch mass may range from approximately 40,000 to 50,000 kilograms. This weapon is capable of covering distances up to about 6,000 kilometres. Standard equipment likely includes four warheads, each yielding about 0.3 megatons.
