SBU shares photos of wreckage of Russian missile used in Dnipro attack

Ukraine’s SBU Security Service of Ukraine displayed fragments of the Russian ballistic missile, named Oreshnik by Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, which was used to strike Dnipro on Nov. 21.

SBU representatives told the media that the missile fragments have not yet been analyzed, and their location is being kept confidential, according to the Associated Press (AP).

The media were able to see the missile debris before investigators removed it.

"Charred, mangled wires and an ashy airframe the size of a large snow tire was all that remained of the weapon, which can carry either conventional or nuclear warhead," the AP said.

An SBU expert, identified only as Oleh, told journalists that such missile remnants have been found on Ukrainian territory for the first time.

The Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR) of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported that the missile was launched from the 4th missile range Kapustin Yar in Astrakhan Oblast, Russia, and flew for 15 minutes before hitting Dnipro. It was also reported that the missile had six warheads, each carrying six submunitions, and its peak speed was 11 Mach.

Strike on Ukraine with Rubezh, Oreshnik, or Kedr missile

The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that on the morning of Nov. 21, Russia launched an intercontinental ballistic missile from Astrakhan Oblast, targeting Dnipro.

News agency Ukrainska Pravda, citing its sources, wrote that Russia likely used the intercontinental ballistic missile RS-26 Rubezh for the first time.

Western officials did not confirm the media reports about the intercontinental missile and stated that it was likely an experimental medium-range ballistic missile. An unnamed U.S. official told CNN that Russia has only a few such missiles and that Ukraine has experienced strikes from missiles with more powerful warheads.

On the same day, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin announced in an address that Russian troops had attacked Dnipro with a new medium-range system called Oreshnik, about which there had been no previous information.

Later, experts from Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence stated that the Nov. 21 strike could have been carried out by a "ballistic missile from the Kedr missile complex." According to the HUR, its tests were conducted in October 2023 and June 2024.

BILD expert Julian Röpcke, analyzing open data, stated that Russia struck Dnipro on Nov. 21 with a modified version of the RS-26 Rubezh missile, which did not have a warhead.