Russia’s new intermediate-range ballistic missile, the Oreshnik, recently fired at Ukraine, was developed using advanced manufacturing equipment from Western companies, despite sanctions, the Financial Times reported on December 27 .
The missile, spear in Dnipro on November 21, was describe ” by Russian President Vladimir Putin in response to Ukraine’s use of American and British weapons to strike deeper into Russia.
Two leading Russian arms engineering institutes – the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology (MITT) and Sozvezdie – were named by Ukrainian intelligence as the developers of the Oreshnik.
According to the Financial Timesthey have posted job openings in 2024 specifying their expertise in operating German and Japanese metalworking systems.
The listings cite Fanuc (Japan), Siemens and Haidenhein (both German) control systems for high-precision computer numerically controlled machines critical to missile production.
Despite sanctions slowing the flow of this equipment, the FT’s analysis found that at least $3 million worth of Heidenhain components had been shipped to the country. Russia in 2024, with some buyers closely linked to military production.
Fabian Hoffmann, defense expert from the University of Oslo suggested The Oreshnik is not an entirely new development but rather a modification of the RS-26 Rubezh missile.
While Putin has announced plans to mass production of the Oreshnik, a US official told the Kyiv Independent that Russia probably only has one small number of these experimental missiles.
The reliance on Western machinery speaks to the continued vulnerabilities of Russia’s defense industry amid ongoing sanctions aimed at reducing its military capabilities.
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