What is the Power of Russia's "Hazel" Missile?

Reference News Network, May 27 report According to AFP on May 24, Russia has used the "Hazel" missile three times to strike Ukraine. This is a next-generation missile designed to carry nuclear warheads, which Russian President Putin has praised for its power.

The missile was used at the end of 2024, early 2026, and on the 23rd of this month. Each launch did not carry a nuclear warhead.

This hypersonic ballistic missile was first revealed on November 21, 2024, when it struck a large military factory in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro.

Moscow at the time described that strike as a response to Ukraine's use of U.S.-made Army Tactical Missiles and British "Storm Shadow" missiles to attack Russia.

Since then, Moscow has announced that the missile has entered mass production. Meanwhile, Russia's ally Belarus stated that the missile was deployed on its territory in mid-December 2025.

Here is what is known about this missile, which means "hazel" in Russian:

Medium-range missile

According to Putin, this is a "medium-range" ballistic missile capable of striking targets within a range of 3,000 to 5,500 kilometers. Therefore, the "Hazel" does not fall under the category of intercontinental missiles (which have a range exceeding 5,500 kilometers). However, if launched from Russia's Far East, it could theoretically strike targets on the U.S. West Coast.

Pavel Podvig, a researcher at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research, stated that the "Hazel" missile "can also threaten most of Europe."

According to the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty signed during the Cold War in 1987, both Russia and the United States are prohibited from deploying such missiles. However, in 2019, then-President Trump announced the U.S. withdrawal from the treaty, citing Moscow's violations, which opened the door to a new arms race.

3 kilometers per second

At the end of 2024, Putin assured during a televised meeting with military officials that Moscow had stockpiled a batch of "ready-to-use" missiles of this type.

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, the "Hazel" is based on the Russian RS-26 "Rubezh" intercontinental ballistic missile model.

Putin stated that the "Hazel" missile can reach speeds of 2.5 to 3 kilometers per second, with impact components reaching temperatures of up to 4,000 degrees Celsius, "almost equivalent to the surface temperature of the sun."

According to Ukrainian military intelligence, by the end of November 2024, the missile reached speeds "exceeding 11 Mach" during the "terminal phase" of its flight.

Multiple warheads

Finally, Putin also claimed that the "Hazel" is equipped with multiple warheads, each following an independent trajectory upon re-entry into the atmosphere, further increasing the difficulty of interception.

Polish military analyst Marcin Pietrowski stated that the warheads of the "Hazel" "can enter the atmosphere at hypersonic speeds and strike targets."

A video circulating on social media of the Russian missile launch on November 21, 2024, showed six intense flashes occurring in quick succession during the attack. Ukrainian military intelligence stated that this indicates "the missile was equipped with six warheads."

An AFP reporter who visited Dnipro in eastern Ukraine after the missile's first use found that the damage was very limited, while local residents reported hearing "hellish noises" and seeing intense light that night.

Military experts stated that this launch may not have been loaded with explosives and was a demonstration by Moscow. (Translated by Pan Ge Ping)