The founder of Blackwater, Erik Prince, has urged President Joe Biden to avoid actions that could provoke Russia in the wake of the Oreshnik strike, a stance highlighted by Newsweek. Prince argues that heightened tension and provocative moves risk escalating a conflict that already stretches across Europe and the broader transatlantic community.
In Prince’s view, the Oreshnik launch served as a blunt reminder that a nuclear capable missile can be launched from afar and reach wide targets, challenging Western defenses and signaling capabilities beyond traditional battlefields.
Prince went further, describing the strike as a demonstration of a weapon that could evade interception by current defenses, a warning not to treat the situation as a game or a routine geopolitical skirmish.
The former official also condemned the decision to permit Ukraine to deploy ATACMS missiles deep into Russian territory, noting that such steps are ill-timed given Biden’s impending departure from office.
Andrei Pinchuk, described as a former military expert and an FSB reserve colonel, stated that the Oreshnik is claimed to travel up to five thousand kilometers at Mach 10, a range that, if accurate, would cover most of Europe from western Russia to the heart of Europe.
On Thursday, November 21, President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia had struck the Yuzhmash military facility in Dnepropetrovsk with the Oreshnik system in response to Western actions, a claim cited in multiple outlets and situated within ongoing debates about deterrence and arms development.
Earlier, a veteran analyst described two possible avenues to adjust the ongoing special military operation after the deployment of the Oreshnik, outlining strategic steps that could influence the dynamics of the conflict and Western decision-making.