21. Putin claimed the strike was a response to Ukraine's use of U.S. and British long-range missiles to attack Russian territory.Putin said on Dec. 16 that large-scale Oreshnik production was a goal for the "near future.""In the near future, serial production of such systems should be ensured to protect the security of Russia and our allies," he said.A former Russian defense engineer previously told the Moscow Times that mass production of Oreshnik missiles would take years, due to bureaucratic and technological difficulties in Russia. The Oreshnik is an IRBM capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Putin has boasted that the missile travels at 10 times the speed of sound. He has also alleged that the weapon cannot be intercepted by air defense systems, a claim refuted by President Volodymyr Zelensky.The Kremlin has leveraged possession of Oreshnik missiles in escalating anti-Western rhetoric and threats against Ukraine.