Analysis of the Oreshnik missile reveals reliance on outdated Soviet technology, raising questions about Russia's claims of innovation in weaponry.

Russian ballistic missile components retrieved from a 2024 strike in Dnipro show that the weapon, known as “Oreshnik” (or “Kedr”), relies on outdated technology, including Soviet-era vacuum tubes and mechanical gyroscopes.

This is according to a video investigation published by CNN on January 11, 2026, based on an analysis conducted by Ukraine’s Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Examinations.

Now I am imagining russian rocket scientists competing in online auctions for rare vintage vacuum tubes with hipster guitarists who need that specific vacuum tube or else their sound won’t be right…