Russia launched Oreshnik missile at Ukraine to 'observe' results for future use, Putin says
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Russia launched the medium-range Oreshnik ballistic missile at Ukraine's Kyiv Oblast on May 24 to observe the results for future launches, Russian President Vladimir Putin said June 4.
"I'll reveal a major military state secret. We simply struck where it was convenient to observe the results," Putin said at a press conference, according to AP.
"We haven't had a single combat use of the Oreshnik missile in the true sense of the word on Ukrainian territory," he added.
Russia has deployed the Oreshnik missile against Ukraine in three known instances. Russia first deployed the missile in November 2024, striking the central-eastern city of Dnipro. A second launch followed in early January, when the missile was used against Lviv Oblast.
"(O)ur drones flew in, into the barn they hit, and simply observed how the expanding blocks were placed. They calculated everything down to the millimeter," Putin claimed.
"It was important for making a decision on the future on the full-format use of the Oreshnik on designated targets, including those in populated areas," he added.
Intentionally targeting civilians or civilian objects, including barns and residential areas that are not used for military purposes, constitutes a war crime under the Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law.
Russia regularly strikes civilian infrastructure in cities across Ukraine as it continues to wage its war.
Overnight on June 2, Russia launched one of the largest aerial attacks of the full-scale war, targeting multiple Ukrainian cities, including nearby Kyiv, with missiles and drones. Across the country, at least 23 people, including two children, were killed and 130 others were injured, officials said.
