“Oreshnik” is a new experimental Russian missile system.
It is the first ballistic missile in the world to be used in actual combat operations, during the invasion of Ukraine.
Launched from the Kapustin Yar test site in the Astrakhan region, the missile traveled 500 miles in less than five minutes, about as long as this video, and struck a military plant in Ukraine.
Announced on November 21, 2024 by Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Oreshnik is an intermediate-range ballistic missile.
This means that its range - can reach up to 3,100 miles and can reach anywhere in Europe.
If Oreshnik is launched from the Kapustin Yar missile range in the Astrakhan region, it will reach Berlin in 11 minutes, Rome in 13 , Brussels in 14 minutes, Paris in 15, and London in 16 minutes.
What happens if this warhead hits London, we will show at the end of the video.
During the recent strike on Ukraine, the video footage showed that 7 warheads reached the target, while there were supposedly 8.
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Each warhead is capable of carrying up to 300 kilotons of nuclear charge.
At the time of its use in Ukraine, an ammunition-free modification was used.
The missile weighs 1.5 tons and is equipped with a two-stage propulsion system capable of accelerating it to Mach 15 on takeoff and Mach 10 while diving on the target.
Mach 10 is a speed of 2 miles per second.
This makes the Oreshnik virtually impossible to intercept. Its maneuverability makes its ballistic trajectory unpredictable, and its speed leaves enemy missile defense systems only a few seconds to react. Anti-missile missiles must achieve direct hits with accuracy measured in meters, and this is extremely difficult.
The chances of intercepting a Oreshnik are less than 1 percent. It would take more than 100 anti-missiles to reliably stop a single missile.
At the moment, according to intelligence information, Russia has about 20 copies of this missile.
And at the end of 2024 it is planned to start mass production of ORESHNIK missiles.
Let's see what will happen if a nuclear modification of the ORESHNIK missile hits London.
In addition to destroying the center of London, the entire surrounding agglomeration would suffer.
The death toll would be colossal at about 2,500,000 and more than 8,000,000 people would be injured.
In addition to London, the Oreshnik will destroy towns such as Croydon in the south, Enfield in the north, Illfor in the east, and Hounslow in the west.
The area of building destruction will exceed 216 square miles.
And the entire environment would be filled with radiation, poisoning the surrounding rivers and bodies of water.
But there is one point of contention. Western experts believe that ORESHNIK does not have a maneuvering unit, and it is a conventional ballistic missile with multiple tips. If so, then its interception could be significantly easier. After all, as it descends, it will have a predictable trajectory that can be measured, calculated and eliminated by the missile.
Let's hope we never find out!
