RS-26 Rubezh
 RS-26 Rubezh  (missile)   | |
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| Russia's Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile |
The RS-26 Rubezh, designated by NATO as SS-X-31, is a new Russian hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM).[1] Codenamed Oreshnik (hazel tree), it can be equipped with a thermonuclear MIRV or MaRV payload, and is also intended to be capable of carrying the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle.[2]
Targeting Ukraine
On 21 November 2024, President Putin said in a TV address that the Oreshnik missile targeting Ukraine travelled at a speed of Mach 10 (10 times the speed of sound) and that "there are currently no ways of counteracting this weapon". He said that a major military-industrial site in Dnipro, used to manufacture missiles and other armaments, had been hit. He described the attack as a test which was "successful" because the "target was reached". Speaking a day later to senior defence officials, he said tests of the missile would continue, "including in combat conditions".[3]
Background
The RS-26 is based on RS-24 Yars, and constitutes a shorter version of the RS-24 with one fewer stages. The development process of the RS-26 has been largely comparable to that of the RSD-10 Pioneer, a shortened derivative of the RT-21 Temp 2S. Deployment of the RS-26 is speculated to have a similar strategic impact as the RSD-10.
The RS-26 missile has been criticised by Western defence observers for indirectly breaching the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty).
Test launch?
According to Ukrainska Pravda, on 20 November 2024, speculation arose in the media regarding the possibility of Russia testing the RS-26 Rubezh ballistic missile. Reports suggested that it could have been either a test launch from the Kapustin Yar range in Astrakhan Oblast or a combat launch.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, on 21 November 2024 the Russian Federation launched an unspecified number of RS-26 missiles without nuclear warheads at Ukraine, reportedly targeting critical infrastructure in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro. Russian government spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was asked to confirm this, and replied that he "had nothing to say on this topic".
A western official stated that the missile used in the attack in question was not an ICBM but a standard ballistic missile.[4]
References
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