The “Orechnik” Surprise: The Russian “Terrifying” Missile Pulses with a Western Heart

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With Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s warning that his country is ready to use the “Orechnik” missile again against Ukrainian targets, a British newspaper has revealed a surprise about this hypersonic missile.

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According to an analysis by the Financial Times, the “Orechnik” missile launched by Putin against Ukraine last month was manufactured by Russian companies still relying on advanced Western manufacturing equipment.

Putin had threatened to strike decision-making centers in Kyiv with the hypersonic “Orechnik” missile, which could carry a nuclear warhead, as well as Western countries that help Ukraine attack Russian territory. The U.S. confirmed this possibility, with Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh stating that Washington believes “it is possible that Russia may use the Orechnik missile in the coming days.”

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Two of Russia’s key weapons engineering institutes, identified by Ukrainian intelligence as developers of the Orechnik missile, announced their need for workers familiar with metalworking systems made by German and Japanese companies.

Job postings from the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology and Sozvezdi, tracked by Financial Times, highlight how the Russian military remains “critically dependent on foreign technology covered by Western sanctions.”

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This dependency is particularly evident in the field of Computer Numerical Control (CNC), a vital technology for producing the Orechnik missile, allowing factories to shape materials quickly and accurately using computers to control the tools.

Analysts noted that these missiles are based on the RS-26 Rubezh missile, a ballistic missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads, which has been tested but not deployed.

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Following the strike on a factory in Dnipro, which was once a highly secret missile-building facility in the Soviet Union, Putin warned: “We have a stock of these products, a stock of these systems ready for use.”

MITT, one of the companies identified by Ukrainian intelligence as involved in the Orechnik project, is a leader in the development of Russian solid-fuel ballistic missiles. In announcements published in 2024, the company states, “We adhere to Fanuc, Siemens, and Heidenhain systems.”

Fanuc is a Japanese company, while Siemens and Heidenhain are German. All three produce high-precision CNC machine control systems.

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The same three Western companies appeared in advertisements published by Sozvezdi, which listed one of its specialties under the title “Automated control systems and communication systems” for military use. The ad requests “knowledge of Computer Numerical Control systems — Fanuc, Siemens, Heidenhain.”

A video posted earlier this year by “Titan Barricade,” a third defense company involved in the production of Orechnik, shows a worker standing in front of a control device branded Fanuc.

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According to Financial Times, Moscow has long relied on automated tools made abroad, despite efforts to build local alternatives. While the Kremlin imports large quantities of high-precision metalworking machinery from China, the control systems for these machines still come from the West.

In 2024, eight Chinese companies presented 12 models of digital control devices at a major Russian trade fair. According to an analysis by Ukraine’s Economic Security Council, 11 of the models were equipped with controllers made by Japanese or German companies.

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The British newspaper quotes Denis Khotik, Executive Director of the European Military Industries Association, who said: “The development of Orechnik shows how dependent the Russian military-industrial complex is on advanced Western equipment. Western governments should work to halt the flow of these goods, which we saw last month in Dnipro contributing directly to the Russian assault on Ukrainian life.”

Job advertisements also show that Stan, the company leading Russia’s attempts to build a local CNC manufacturing industry, uses Heidenhain equipment.

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According to the Financial Times, halting the flow of CNC machines and systems to Russia has been a priority for Kyiv’s allies. CNC systems and their components are part of what is called the “high-priority goods list” that they particularly wish to prevent from reaching Moscow.

Nick Pinkston, CEO of Volition, a manufacturer of industrial parts and expert in machine tool manufacturing, stated, “If you can restrict access to these Western CNC units, you can slow down Russian production.”

He added, “Some of these advanced control systems allow you to cut faster while maintaining accuracy. If you have to switch to a new control system, you’ll need to reconfigure the machines and physical tools, as well as reprogram every part completely, which could cost you time and money, and also decrease part quality.”

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While export controls have slowed the flow of these goods into Russia, Financial Times analysis of Russian files indicates that at least $3 million worth of shipments, including Heidenhain components, have flowed into Russia since the beginning of 2024. Some of these buyers are deeply involved in military production.

One of the shipments was listed as being intended for a system that includes the new Heidenhain TNC640 controller. According to Heidenhain’s website, the TNC640 “sets the advanced spectrum of control technology within its field” and “enables combined milling, turning, and grinding operations.”

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The unit, priced at $345,000, was shipped via China to Baltic Industrial, a Russian company that has been sanctioned by the U.S. and has a history of supplying CNC machinery to the defense industry.

Siemens stated that it “does not tolerate violations of sanctions, investigates any signs of circumvention… and engages the appropriate and necessary authorities.”

Fanuc acknowledged that the machine filmed in Titan Barricade appeared to be theirs, but noted that it seemed to be an older model.

It stated that it had “strengthened vigilance and controls within our export monitoring operations to prevent any potential transfer of technology or equipment to Russian entities.”

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