Russian Ballistic Missile Was Test Version Not Armed With Explosives

While many in the western media have worked themselves into a frenzy about Russia's alleged firing of a ballistic missile at the Ukrainian city of Dnipro, detailed analysis suggests it was a test version of the missile which contained no explosives. 

This accounts for the fact that it did little damage and was a political threat rather than a military strike. A number of analysts have pointed out that this is evidence of Putin's desperation as casualties mount without significant gains, while the ruble's value plummets and his economy falters. JL

Roman Petrenko reports in Ukraine Pravda:

The new Russian ballistic missile that struck the city of Dnipro on 21 November was a test version of the RS-26 Rubezh missile, and contained no explosives. It was a decoy with the same mass and size, which was supposed to simulate a nuclear charge. This confirms it was a propaganda and political move, not a military one. There were no explosives inside, which is why the damage was minimal. 

A journalist for the German tabloid Bild has suggested that the new Russian ballistic missile that struck the city of Dnipro on 21 November was a test version of the RS-26 missile, and contained no explosives.

Source: Julian Röpcke, Senior Editor for German tabloid Bild

Details: Röpcke has reportedly studied various videos of the attack on the Pivdenmash plant in Dnipro. [Pivdenmash plant is a leading Ukrainian company that produces rocket and space technology and technologies for defence, scientific and economic purposes - ed.]

He believes the Russians used a modified version of the RS-26 Rubezh missile in the strike.

Quote from Röpcke: "Multiple surveillance cameras captured what are known as sub-munitions, i.e. an RS-26 re-entering the lower atmosphere. This horrific footage shows six missiles falling from the sky through the clouds.

The peculiarity is that it was a decoy with the same mass and size, which was supposed to simulate a nuclear charge. This confirms it was a propaganda and political move, not a military one. There was no nuclear charge or explosives inside, which is why the damage was minimal.

 

Ukraine’s Air Force noted that during the latest missile attack on the city of Dnipro, Russia used an intercontinental ballistic missile. Ukrainska Pravda sources reported that it could have been a Rubezh missile, a potential carrier of nuclear warheads.

• However, two Western officials told Reuters that preliminary data did not confirm the use of an intercontinental ballistic missile by Russia.
• In his Thursday address, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin indirectly confirmed US reports, stating that during the morning attack on Dnipro on 21 November, Russia used the Oreshnik medium-range missile.
• The United States officially confirmed that on the morning of 21 November, Russia struck Dnipro with a ballistic missile based on the RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile.
• On 22 November, Defence Intelligence of Ukraine stated that Russia had attacked Ukrainian territory using a ballistic missile, likely from a Kedr missile system, on 21 November.