Ukraine has denied claims regarding the launch of the "Oreshnik" missile towards Kyiv.

The head of the Center for Countering Disinformation of the National Security and Defense Council, Lieutenant Andriy Kovalenko, clarified in his Telegram channel that on February 6, contrary to earlier reports, there was no launch of the "Oreshnik" missile.

He reiterated that Russia is obligated to notify its Western partners in advance about such launches, but no such notification was received.

Furthermore, there was no evidence of any subsequent missile launch or "missile drop."

On February 6, Forbes, citing Ukrainian military blogger Kyrylo Sazonov, claimed that the "Oreshnik" missile was launched from the Astrakhan region of the Russian Federation, stating that it malfunctioned and exploded on Russian territory, failing to reach its intended target.

The "Oreshnik," a variant of the Russian RS-26 ballistic missile, first became known on November 21, 2024, when Russia launched this missile at the city of Dnipro.

Weighing 40 tons and equipped with six independent rockets, the missile was initially mistakenly perceived as an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, which heightened concerns about its destructive potential.

Reports indicated that there are numerous technical deficiencies associated with this missile, being a modified RS-26, with reduced fuel volume and a shorter range.

Due to these deficiencies, the RS-26 had a failed debut in 2011, when an explosion occurred near the launch site.

After the first strike with the "Oreshnik," Putin warned of further launches, particularly targeting "decision-making centers" in Kyiv.

On January 26, Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko announced that the Russian missile complex "Oreshnik" would arrive in Belarus.

Background. Meanwhile, Defense Express reported that the U.S. will develop a new secret long-range missile ERAM for Ukraine. Some key parameters have been disclosed, including a missile range of 463 km and plans to produce 1,000 units by 2026.