The Oreshnik nuclear-capable intermediate-range ballistic missile was likely a modification of Russia's RS-26 Rubezh missile, he said. Ropcke came to this conclusion by analyzing the available footage of the strike. The RS-26 missile would not contain explosives or a warhead and would have been equipped with a substitute of the same size and weight to simulate the appearance of a nuclear warhead, according to Ropcke."This demonstrates that it was a propaganda and political action rather than a military one. There was neither a nuclear charge nor explosives inside. That’s why the damage is so insignificant," Ropcke said.Russian President Vladimir Putin previously claimed in an address on Nov. 21 that the Oreshnik missile was a newly designed weapon and that there was "no way" of countering this weapon with air defense.Putin went on to say that the missile could be equipped with a nuclear warhead but that missile launched at Dnipro had been a "test launch" which did not include one.