"Moscow notifies the United States in advance to avoid triggering a retaliatory strike. More important, without a nuclear payload, the missile has limited military value; Russia has other weapons capable of inflicting similar damage at a fraction of the cost. The most logical reason for Russia's use of this weapon at this time is to remind America that it is still a superpower and that Putin is still in control."
"Moscow entered 2026 under more U.S. sanctions than before Trump's reelection, with a much-worse economy, and is unable to agree to any of the peace proposals on the table. The Kremlin is all smiles whenever Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is in town, and Putin still calls Trump ahead of the U.S. president's meetings with Volodymyr Zelensky, but Oreshnik is the Kremlin's statement piece."
Russia attacked Lviv near the Polish border with an Oreshnik intermediate-range, nuclear-capable ballistic missile that carried no nuclear warhead. Security-camera footage captured flashes, multiple warheads entering the atmosphere at about ten times the speed of sound, and the missile's impact. The launch must be carried out by the Strategic Rocket Forces and Moscow notifies the United States in advance to avoid accidental escalation. Without a nuclear payload the missile had limited military value and was costly compared with alternatives. The launch served primarily as a political signal to remind the United States of Russia's superpower capabilities and to show that Putin remains in control amidst sanctions and diplomatic strains.
Read at The Atlantic
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