Russian ruler Vladimir Putin has stated that the Oreshnik missile was fired against Ukraine in order to conveniently observe “how the warheads were dispersed”. He claims this was necessary for him to “make decisions in the future about a full-scale launch of Oreshnik”.

Source: Putin during a meeting with heads of news agencies, as reported by Russian media outlets

Details: According to Putin, there was allegedly “not a single combat use of Oreshnik” on Ukrainian territory.

Quote: “We tested similar systems at firing ranges, but we did not test Oreshnik. And this is not combat use. In general, we effectively had no combat use of Oreshnik on Ukrainian territory in the full sense of the word. And the last strike, honestly, I will reveal a great military state secret to you – we simply struck where it was convenient to observe the impact.”

Details: Putin added that this refers to the strikes on the city of Bila Tserkva and temporarily occupied territory in Donetsk Oblast. He said Russian forces subsequently directed drones to the strike sites and observed “how the separating warheads were dispersed”.

Quote: “We counted to the millimetre. Everything, where it went. This is important for us in order to make decisions in the future about the full-scale use of Oreshnik. Against designated targets, including in urban areas.”

Background:

• On the night of 23-24 May, Russia launched a large-scale combined attack on Ukraine, using, according to the Air Force, 90 missiles and 600 drones of various types, including Oreshnik missiles.

• As of 24 May, authorities in Kyiv reported that two people had been killed and 78 injured as a result of the Russian attack.

• A letter from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to US President Donald Trump and Congress states that on the night of 23-24 May, the Russians fired two Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missiles against Ukraine. Zelenskyy wrote that one of them struck Kyiv Oblast (Bila Tserkva), while the other struck the occupied territory of Donetsk Oblast.

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