The Ukrainian Air Force has warned of a high probability that russia could launch a medium-range ballistic missile against Ukraine during the current day, citing activity detected at the Kapustin Yar missile range in russia's Astrakhan region.
The warning was issued on June 12 and urged civilians across the country not to ignore air raid alerts. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, preparations observed at the test range indicate the possibility of an imminent ballistic missile launch.
Read more: How Many Oreshnik IRBMs russia Has and What Their Production Rate Is
While the Air Force did not identify the specific missile involved, the reference to Kapustin Yar has drawn immediate attention to russia's Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile. The system is known to be associated with the range and was previously launched against Ukraine from the same location.
As Defense Express previously reported, russia's Oreshnik medium-range ballistic missile has never been used in actual combat operations and has only been launched as part of testing programs, according to a recent admission by russian President Vladimir Putin.
The statement directly contradicts months of russian official narratives that portrayed the missile as a battlefield-proven weapon capable of destroying underground facilities, command centers, and other strategic targets.
Read more: Breaking Down russian Propaganda Claims: Putin Says Oreshnik Launches Were Tests, Not Combat Strikes
