Russia fires hypersonic Oreshnik missile at Ukraine in massive attack | Russia
Russia’s military said its new hypersonic Oreshnik missile was fired during a massive night attack on a target in Ukraine.
Ukraine confirmed the attack, saying it took place in the west of the country, near the European Union border. Moscow said the launch of the medium-range ballistic missile was in retaliation for an alleged attempted drone strike on Vladimir Putin’s residence in Ukraine late last month; Both Kyiv and Washington said this claim was false.
Ukraine’s foreign minister said the use of the Oreshnik missile so close to the EU and NATO border poses a “serious threat” to European security and called on partners to increase pressure on Moscow. Kiev also rejected Russia’s efforts to justify the attack, calling it “absurd”.
The governor of Ukraine’s western Lviv region said Russian attacks damaged a critical infrastructure facility. Unconfirmed social media reports have suggested that the site may be a large underground gas storage facility.
Russia first used Oreshnik, named after the Russian word for hazel tree, in November 2024, when Moscow said it had hit a military-industrial facility in Ukraine. Ukrainian officials and analysts at the time said the missile carried dummy warheads rather than explosives and caused limited damage.
Initial reports suggest that the Oreshnik used in Friday’s attack may have also carried inert warheads, suggesting the launch was largely symbolic. The strike came just days after Ukraine’s European allies agreed to provide key elements of post-war security guarantees in the event of a ceasefire with Russia.
President Putin has repeatedly stated in recent months that Oreshnik is a threat to both Ukraine and the West, warning that he could be used to hit targets inside Russia with longer-range missiles against countries that supply weapons to Kiev.
The Russian leader claimed that the medium-range missile was impossible to intercept due to its speed exceeding 10 times the speed of sound, and that its destructive power rivaled that of nuclear weapons even when armed with a conventional warhead.
Although Ukraine does not have an air defense system that can stop the missile, some Western analysts expressed skepticism about these claims.
Russian forces also launched night attacks on Kiev, hitting many parts of the Ukrainian capital. According to the head of the Kiev City Military Administration, Timur Tkachenko, at least one person was killed. Ukraine’s security service said five rescue workers were injured while responding to the attacks.
The Oreshnik launch capped a week in which Ukraine and its European allies said they had made significant progress on plans for post-war security guarantees.
Britain and France on Tuesday said they were ready to send troops to Ukraine following a future peace deal, a major commitment that has been discussed for months.
Russia’s foreign ministry rejected the idea on Thursday, calling the possibility of Western troops arriving in Ukraine a “direct threat”; This situation once again casts doubt on the possibility of peace through negotiations.
