Germany defenseless against Oreshnik missile – Bild

The tabloid, citing an analysis by the Foreign Ministry, claims national air-defenses cannot intercept the Russian hypersonic missile

Germany’s air defenses are not capable of effectively shielding the country from Russia’s new hypersonic Oreshnik missile, Bild has reported, citing an internal analysis prepared by the Foreign Ministry.

The intermediate-range ballistic rocket, which can carry multiple types of warhead, including nuclear ones, was first used on November 21, when it struck Ukraine’s Yuzhmash military industrial facility in the city of Dnepr. Commenting on the attack, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed the Oreshnik travels at ten times the speed of sound and cannot be intercepted by any existing air defenses.

In its article on Friday, Bild reported that Germany’s Foreign Ministry had commissioned an internal study of Berlin and Kiev’s air defense capabilities in the face of a potential ballistic missile threat. In a move seemingly encroaching on Defense Ministry turf, the diplomats drew on the expertise of a liaison officer and several air defense specialists within the military.

According to the media outlet, the conclusion they arrived at was that “Germany would be defenseless against an Oreshnik attack.” Bild quoted the document as warning that the US-made Patriot air defense system is “not suitable for countering a long-range ballistic missile, such as the Oreshnik.”

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Given the Russian missile’s speed and maneuverability, “a potential interception would be more of a lucky strike,” the Foreign Ministry’s analysis reportedly stated.

The tabloid noted, however, that the Israeli-made Arrow air defense system, which Berlin ordered last year, could help close the supposed gap.

On Thursday, President Putin said that while Russia does not “have many of the Oreshnik systems yet” and is “not in a rush to use them,” Moscow does “not rule out the possibility of using it today or tomorrow, if there is a need.” The head of state added that the hypersonic missile had already entered serial production, and confirmed that a number of units would be deployed to Russia’s close ally, Belarus.

Earlier in the day, President Alexander Lukashenko told reporters: “I think it will be ten for now, and then we’ll see.”

During his end-of-year press conference last Thursday, Putin challenged the West to a “high-tech duel,” which would involve Russia striking a pre-determined target in Kiev with an Oreshnik missile and Western air defenses deployed to Ukraine trying to shoot down the state-of-the-art projectile.

Earlier this month, the Russian head of state explained that the development of the Oreshnik came in response to the US decision to station its medium-range missiles in Western Europe.