Jim Himes argues debris from strikes in Ukraine could give Kyiv and Western analysts intelligence insight into the weapon's capabilities, while questions persist over its composition and effectiveness.
ℹ️ Ανάγνωση από τον περιηγητή · στούντιο φωνή AI έρχεται σύντομα
A US lawmaker has said Russia's use of the "Oreshnik" missile against Ukraine may backfire by providing Kyiv and Western analysts with access to debris that reveals the weapon's technical capabilities, the Kyiv Post reported.
Jim Himes, a Democratic member of the House Intelligence Committee, made the remarks, arguing that the strikes fail to intimidate Ukrainians and instead yield significant intelligence gains for the West by exposing Russian missile technology to direct scrutiny on the battlefield.
Rather than achieving a psychological or strategic effect, Himes said, the deployments have handed analysts a rare opportunity to assess the missile's design, range, and performance characteristics through recovered wreckage. He added that long-range strikes of this kind have broadly failed to produce their intended strategic outcomes since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
Questions persist, meanwhile, over the Oreshnik's precise composition, warhead configuration, and overall battlefield effectiveness, according to the Kyiv Post.