The Oreshnik missile reportedly hit the town of Bila Tserkva just south of Kyiv on Sunday night, according to a statement from the Ukrainian Air Force.
Jörgen Elfving, a lieutenant colonel with a background including serving as a teacher at the Swedish National Defense University, says that the missile causes damage due to high kinetic energy on impact.
In connection with occasions when it has been used, such as when Ukraine has done something that caused harm to Russia, a number of commentators have mentioned Oreshnik as an appropriate response, he says.
Weapons of revenge
Is it about Russia wanting to show itself as strong?
Yes, and not just to show strength, but as a weapon of retaliation.
The reason the missile was used this time is that they wanted to avenge the Ukrainian attack in the Luhansk region on Friday night, which, according to Russia, targeted student housing at a university, Elfving believes.
Ukraine has denied attacking civilian infrastructure, saying it was the headquarters of a Russian military unit.
Joakim Paasikivi, lieutenant colonel and senior geopolitical advisor at Mannheimer Swartling, also says that the missile is used when Russia wants to "mark something."
The military effect is small if you don't hit a particularly significant target, but it is a signal back home, "we are taking action with a heavy hand," he says on Sveriges Radio's "Good Morning, World."
Nuclear weapons
According to Russia, the missile can be equipped with nuclear weapons and in such cases is an addition to an already broad range of Russian nuclear weapons carriers, such as aircraft, missiles and submarines, says Jörgen Elfving.
So far, the attack fits with what is already known about Russia's warfare, but if more follow, it should be seen as an escalation, according to Elfving.
It remains to be seen whether there will be any continuation of these attacks, he says.
It is also worth pointing out that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned on Saturday that Russia was planning to launch a hypersonic missile.
This indicates that the Ukrainian intelligence situation is quite good, says Jörgen Elfving.
