- The unstoppable Russian Oreshnik missile
By our man in Paris
PARIS – FRENCH President EMMANUEL Macron has sparked a frantic arms race by demanding Europe builds its own version of Russia’s terrifying ‘Oreshnik’ missile.
The French President issued the chilling wake-up call after Vlad the Impaler’s forces launched a second strike of the hypersonic “monster” weapon into Ukraine.
In a move set to send shockwaves through the Continent, the defiant leader warned that Europe must match Russia’s firepower or risk becoming a global irrelevance.
Speaking from the Istres military base, a stern Macron told top brass: “We’ve witnessed the second launch of the Russian long-range missile Oreshnik.
”We Europeans must acquire these new weapons, capable of changing the balance of power, if we want to remain credible.”
The Oreshnik—Russian for “Hazel Tree”—is anything but a garden plant. The beastly ballistic missile can scream through the sky at a blistering Mach 10, making it “impossible” to shoot down with current Western tech.
The latest launch targeted Lviv, a city on the very doorstep of NATO and the EU.
Military experts say the weapon is a “psychological nightmare” designed to show Putin can strike any European capital in minutes.
Macron’s demand for a European super-weapon comes as he joins forces with PM Keir Starmer and German boss Friedrich Merz to condemn the “unacceptable escalation” by the Kremlin.
But while the politicians talk, the French President is already looking to the armory—insisting that if Vlad has the big toys, Europe needs them too.
What is the Oreshnik?
The Weapon: The Oreshnik is an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) that Russia first debuted in November 2024 against the city of Dnipro. It is reportedly a modified version of the RS-26 Rubezh.
The Speed: It travels at hypersonic speeds—roughly 13,000 km/h (Mach 10). At this speed, it can reach London from Russia in under 20 minutes.
The Impact: It carries multiple warheads (MIRVs) that split apart before impact, looking like “meteorites” falling from the sky. While the recent strikes used conventional explosives, the system is fully capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
The Context: Macron’s recent comments follow a second confirmed combat use of the missile in January 2026. He is currently pushing for the European Long-range Strike Approach (ELSA), a coalition of nations aiming to develop home-grown deep-strike capabilities to reduce reliance on the US.
