Russia creating ‘unstoppable’ missile that would attain London in 8 minutes
The new system, dubbed ‘Son of Oreshnik’, is said to be more powerful than the existing version of the missile, which has been used twice by Vladimir Putin during the war in Ukraine
Vladimir Putin is reportedly looking to test a new hypersonic ballistic missile(Image: Getty)
Russia is allegedly developing a next-generation hypersonic ballistic missile capable of delivering nuclear warheads – one that is purported to be “more powerful” than the already dreaded Oreshnik system.
The advancement is connected to Vladimir Putin, who has previously unleashed the conventional variant of the weapon twice throughout the conflict in Ukraine.
Military analyst Viktor Baranets, a former colonel, revealed the Kremlin is pursuing what he termed a “Son of Oreshnik” engineered to intimidate both Western powers and Kyiv. According to him, engineers are examining a design featuring a heavier payload, enhanced fuel technology, and “fundamentally different” guidance systems.
“We are indeed developing and testing a missile that will be more powerful than the Oreshnik,” he said. “It will have improved warhead yield parameters.”
Baranets indicated the enhanced system could potentially carry eight kinetic warheads instead of six, with the capability to pierce fortified targets to depths of approximately 100 feet.
“Whilst the Oreshniks already perform excellently, they are now aiming to perfect it to the point where target deviation will be zero,” said Baranets, military analyst for Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper.
The so-called “unstoppable” Oreshnik missile, first revealed in late 2024 during an assault on Dnipro, has been characterised by Russian sources as a mobile, medium-range ballistic missile platform fitted with multiple independently targetable warheads. Russian authorities have previously maintained that there are no dependable defences against weaponry such as the Oreshnik, a claim met with scepticism by Western specialists.
In January 2026, Putin allegedly deployed an Oreshnik missile travelling at approximately 8,000 mph in an assault near the Ukrainian city of Lviv, a mere 40 miles from NATO and EU territory in Poland.
Putin asserts that targets are obliterated by conventional Oreshnik missiles, which generate temperatures of 4,000C, nearly matching the heat of the sun’s surface.
Officials in Moscow and Minsk have also stated that the missile system has been positioned in Belarus. From this location, it is suggested that the weapon could reach London in a scant eight minutes.
However, Russia’s Defence Ministry has yet to officially confirm that a new system surpassing the Oreshnik is currently in the works.
