Ukrainian experts revealed on Friday that the Oleshnik missile, which Russia launched into Ukraine in January, appears to be nearly a decade old and built solely from parts sourced within Russia and Belarus. This missile, first deployed against Ukraine in 2024, has nuclear capabilities and can travel over 3,100 miles.
Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that intercepting the Oleshnik would be impossible, although a number of Western analysts have expressed skepticism about this assertion.
Analysis of debris from a limited number of Oleshnik missiles used in the ongoing conflict has given Ukrainian authorities insight into the weapon and allowed them to challenge some of the sensationalism surrounding it.
Furthermore, officials in Ukraine assert that the Oleshnik is simply a revamped variant of the RS-26 Lubezh missile, which had its first successful test in 2012.
During a demonstration of electronic components retrieved from Russian missiles and drones, Ukrainian missile experts indicated that the Oleshnik recovered in January was assembled in 2017 using parts manufactured before 2016, all coming from either Russia or Belarus.
“We were a bit taken aback; they tout this as a cutting-edge missile, but the assembly date shows it was built in 2017,” shared an expert named Petro, who preferred to keep his full name private for security reasons.
at least 3 strikes
Russia has launched attacks using the Oleshnik on Ukrainian soil at least three times, including a significant aerial assault on a town near Kiev on May 24.
Vladislav Vlasiuk, an adviser on sanctions to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, noted that electronic equipment recovered from the Oleshnik that impacted the city of Lviv in January is still undergoing analysis. He mentioned that the missile remnants from the recent Oleshnik attack are also being examined.
Additionally, Vlasiuk pointed out a notable increase in the use of Chinese-made components in place of Western missile parts, a switch that appears to be somewhat forced.
While Ukraine’s allies have imposed bans on exporting electronic gear that could be utilized in missiles, illegally obtained Western chips still frequently find their way into Russian missiles and drones.
For a while now, Ukraine has been urging Western nations to take stronger action against the supply of electronic components to Russia.
