Analysis of electronic circuits recovered after a Russian attack on a gas depot in the Lviv region in January 2026 shows that the missile was assembled in 2017, with components dating from 2016 or earlier. ‘We were a bit surprised because they claim it is a very new missile – but the manufacturing year is 2017,’ a Ukrainian expert told the Kyiv Post.
The physical evidence contradicts public statements by Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin, who repeatedly described the Oreshnik as a ‘cutting-edge’ system not based on modernized Soviet technology. Instead, the Ukrainian findings confirm earlier assessments by the US Department of Defense that the Oreshnik is an experimental ground-based system heavily derived from the older Russian RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile project.
The Ukrainian forensics experts also proved that the missile contains no Western electronic components – another blow to Russian propaganda, which repeatedly claims that Ukraine is supplied with Western technology. The Oreshnik consists exclusively of Russian and Belarusian parts.
Source: www.kyivpost.com
