The rocket ‘Oreshnik’, used by Russian troops during the recent massive shelling of Ukraine, turned out to be predominantly assembled from outdated electronic components. Experts note that the core of its electronic filling consists of parts produced in Russia and Belarus, some of which were manufactured more than ten years ago.
This is reported by Finway
Analysis of Debris and Component Origins
During a special event on May 29, journalists were shown electronic modules extracted from Russian rockets and drones used in the recent shelling of Ukraine. Specialists provided access to boards, chips, and units of onboard systems, explaining their origins and functional purposes in detail. According to them, many samples contained parts of foreign manufacture, including from China, the USA, Japan, Germany, and Switzerland. However, several chips had damaged or erased serial numbers, complicating identification, although experts do not rule out the presence of American components.
Separately, elements of the ‘Oreshnik’ rocket were demonstrated – in particular, the control board and fragments of the onboard computer. According to specialists, these parts were predominantly manufactured at enterprises in Russia and Belarus, and some components may have been produced at the Minsk plant ‘Integral’.
“Everything we found now is from Russia and Belarus.”
Advisor to the President on sanctions policy Vladislav Vlasuk emphasized during a briefing that currently no Western components have been recorded in the debris of ‘Oreshnik’. According to him, the newest parts identified date back to 2017, while some electronics are even older. Vlasuk stressed that despite its low accuracy, this rocket remains a threat to civilian infrastructure and the population in the event of mass use.
Massive Strike by ‘Oreshnik’ and Its Consequences
Experts describe ‘Oreshnik’ as essentially a “heavy dud”. According to specialists, the chance of dying from this rocket can be compared to the probability of an accident when a brick falls from a roof. It is known that on the night of May 24, Russian troops launched a medium-range ballistic missile ‘Oreshnik’ from the Kapustin Yar test site in the Astrakhan region of Russia. The rocket fell in the vicinity of Bila Tserkva in Kyiv region, causing a fire in a garage cooperative and damage to buildings of a local enterprise.
Analysts believe that the use of ‘Oreshnik’ primarily had a psychological impact and was intended to demonstrate a threat rather than achieve real military results. According to estimates from Defense Express, the destructive effect of this rocket is comparable to the strike of about 36 Shahed-type kamikaze drones with an enhanced warhead. Later, information about the second strike was confirmed by Volodymyr Zelensky in a letter to US President Donald Trump.