Ukraine Displays Wreckage of Russian Experimental Missile

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s Security Service disclosed the remnants of a newly developed Russian ballistic missile to media outlets, including the Associated Press, on Sunday. This missile, identified as the «Oreshnik» — meaning «hazel tree» in Russian — targeted a manufacturing facility in Dnipro, a city located in central Ukraine, last Thursday.

The missile’s design reportedly stems from Russia’s RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile. Pentagon sources have confirmed this origin. Security officials at the investigation site, whose specific location remains undisclosed, stated that the missile fragments are yet to be thoroughly analyzed. Journalists were permitted to observe and film the wreckage prior to its relocation for further examination.

This missile strike is perceived as a retaliatory act by Moscow, purportedly in response to Ukrainian forces employing similar long-range capabilities against Russian territories. The Ukrainian Main Intelligence Directorate identified the missile’s launch site as the Kapustin Yar Missile Test Range in Russia’s Astrakhan region. The missile, boasting speeds of up to Mach 11, carried multiple warheads and impacted Dnipro after a 15-minute flight.

In related developments, Russian President Vladimir Putin enacted legislation to stimulate military enlistment by offering debt forgiveness to new recruits. According to Russian state media agency Interfax, those enlisting on a one-year service contract may have debts, totaling up to 10 million rubles (approximately $96,000), annulled if these debts had enforcement actions initiated before December 1, 2024. The offer extends to recruits’ spouses, further underscoring Russia’s push to bolster its military ranks without initiating another large-scale mobilization.

This legislative move by Russia follows the significant avoidance of service by thousands of Russian men during the «partial mobilization» call in September 2022. During this period, many fled the country, reflecting wide-scale public resistance to compulsory military service.

The intensified military recruitment efforts coincide with reports of Russia deploying foreign nationals, such as Yemeni mercenaries, into Ukraine. The findings, initially reported by the Financial Times, suggest these individuals were lured with employment offers, high wages, and the promise of Russian citizenship, only to be conscripted into military service after arriving in Russia. Reports also indicate the involvement of individuals from India and Nepal among these foreign recruits.