High risk prevents Putin from using nuclear weapons — aviation expert

He shared his opinions with Espreso TV.

“If the Oreshnik missile is equipped with a standard nuclear warhead, then the area of destruction will be very serious indeed. This is a nuclear bomb yield of 600 kilotons to 1.2 megatons. Therefore, in the nuclear version, it will be a very serious blow. However, if the Kremlin dares to use such a weapon, then the whole of Russia, I emphasize the whole territory of Russia, may receive such a response that they will have to be collected in a scoop,” Romanenko believes.

The expert emphasized that Russia is likely to continue striking Ukraine with Oreshnik missiles, but without a nuclear warhead.

"Russia is unlikely to dare attack the West with missiles carrying nuclear warheads. Against Ukraine, they can only fire dummies, as they did when striking Dnipro with the Oreshnik missile. Using a nuclear warhead would cause radioactive contamination, which could spread across Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Europe, Turkey, and beyond.  

While Russians are ruthless, they are not outright fools, so it’s unlikely they’ll use nuclear warheads against our territory. Regarding the Oreshnik missile without a nuclear charge, its warhead weighs over 1,200 kg and splits into six parts, each under 200 kg. These warheads aren’t solid metal but have a heat-resistant layer, making it impossible to fill them with explosives - they wouldn’t withstand atmospheric heat," he added.

Russia launches an intercontinental ballistic missile. What we know

On the morning of November 21, Russia launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), a Kinzhal missile, and a Kh-101 missile over Ukraine. Air defense forces successfully shot down six of these targets.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin claimed that during the November 21 attack on Dnipro, Russia tested its Oreshnik medium-range ballistic missile. He warned that Moscow would “respond to escalation.”

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Russia’s use of this new ballistic missile a second step towards further escalation, following the involvement of North Korean military personnel in the conflict.

On the evening of November 21, Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a strong response to Putin’s claims about the use of the Oreshnik missile against Ukraine.

According to Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate, the strike on Dnipro involved a ballistic missile from the Kedr system, carrying 36 submunitions. Initially, it was thought to be an RS-26 “Rubezh” ICBM, but Putin later referred to it as the medium-range Oreshnik missile.

Putin stated that Moscow would continue testing the Oreshnik missile system, calling it a “guarantor of sovereignty” and claiming it represents the work of experts in what he calls the “new Russia.”

Ukraine’s Security Service presented evidence of this latest Russian act of aggression, sharing fragments of the Oreshnik missile with international media after it struck Dnipro.

On November 28, Russian leader Vladimir Putin has warned that decision-making centers in Kyiv could be targeted by the new Oreshnik missile, which Russia deployed in its attack on Ukraine's Dnipro on November 21.