According to military expert Andrei Markin, on February 12, launch tests of a new missile system may have been conducted at the Kapustin Yar test site in the Astrakhan region. Initial reports indicated the launch of the "Oreshnik" missile, but this information was later officially denied by representatives of the Russian Ministry of Defense.
As Markin stated in an interview with the publication "Moskovsky Komsomolets", despite the denial, some kind of weapon testing was indeed carried out at the test site.
It is logical to assume that something more advanced was tested today. Perhaps a missile with an increased range or with new means of overcoming missile defense. There is information that Russia is working on a modernized version - unofficially it is called "Oreshnik-2" or "Granit".
The expert noted that, based on indirect signs, it can be assumed that it is not about a serial sample of "Oreshnik", but about a modernized or fundamentally new development.
Experts note that Kapustin Yar is traditionally used for testing missile systems of various classes, including operational-tactical and tactical samples. The absence of public information on the specific characteristics of the tested system corresponds to the practice of testing advanced weapons at early stages of development.