Oreshnik as a threat.

China used billions of dollars. To sponsor the development of the Oreshnik missile. This means that. Maybe China used that data in its own weapon development. 

The “Oreshnik” missile is one of the most feared weapons, and one of the mysteries is: why does it not have ICBM capacity? The Oreshnik is an IRBM missile, which means it's prohibited in the IRBM treaty. That treaty lost its meaning. The Oreshnik is quite similar to RS-26 “Rubetzh”. The rocket of the “Rubezh” is 12 meters long, and the weight of the missile is about 36 tonnes. The question is: does that weight contain only the missile?

Or is it calculated with its transporter? The missile itself can involve multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles, MIRV, or one Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle. It is possible that “Oreshnik” and “Rubetzh” are created for fitting in the cargo bay of An-22 “Antei”, or IL-76 “Candid” cargo planes. 

The heavy transporter can make those missiles extremely dangerous. The fast transportable missile can be carried into Cuba. Or somewhere to Latin America. And those missiles can be launched against the USA, just like they can be used against Europe. Those missiles are highly mobile systems that can be transported on roads. Or ships. Or by using aircraft. To the launching position. 

“Antonov An-22A Antei, Russia - Air Force AN2203462” (Wikipedia, Antonov An-22)

“A Russian Air Force Il-76MD-90A” (Wikipedia, Ilyushin Il-76)

The primary question is, where is the system that gives the launching codes to the system? There is a possibility. That. The system uses normal telephone lines. To get the launch code. But. The launching code can also be given by using satellites or from command aircraft. The command aircraft can give the code. By using normal radios. Or the system can also use laser communication. In the last case, the command aircraft must have visual contact with the missile. 

This system must be existed, because satellite radio communication is “easy” to jam. In the case that the jammer denies those satellites' radio communication. In that case, there must be some kind of wired communication. Or satellites, or an aircraft-based laser system. 

The system needs a command aircraft in cases where it must use individual missiles. That’s why the damage that the Wagner PMC revolt caused can be more devastating than it seems. During that revolt, rebellious forces destroyed one of the Russian Il-22 (”Coot-B”) command aircraft. The Il-22 (”Coot-B”) is a command post variant of the Il-18 aircraft. 

The Il-22 can have those laser systems. And we must realize that the crew operates systems. Those that are reserved for revolt situations do not operate with the same aircraft as normal combat operations teams. So the aircraft that those special crews use must also be. Different types. From a normal command aircraft.

There is a possibility that this aircraft had a role in commanding the nuclear missile fire. Those aircraft's purpose was to control the cooperation with air forces (Spetsnaz, Alpha team), ground troops, and naval units. That revolt ended, but that command aircraft was not sent airborne for nothing. In Russian doctrine. It is possible to use nuclear weapons against rebellious troops.  

https://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.php?aircraft_id=2467

https://www.newsweek.com/russia-mi8-helicopters-pilots-killed-wagner-mutiny-1808976

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/01/28/china-helping-russia-build-nuclear-capable-missile/?gsid=578484a7-a2fa-4cfd-850a-a1ecc8c8680a

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_Group

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonov_An-22

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilyushin_Il-18

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_independently_targetable_reentry_vehicle

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oreshnik_(missile)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RS-26_Rubezh

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spetsnaz