Russia Fires "Uninterceptible" Oreshnik Missile in Fresh Strikes on Ukraine
- Russia launched a major overnight attack on Ukraine that included the rare use of the Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile, killing four people in Kyiv and injuring at least 25 others
- Ukrainian authorities confirmed missile strikes near Lviv and said the assault also involved dozens of cruise missiles and hundreds of drones targeting energy and civilian infrastructure
- Power and heating were disrupted across large parts of Kyiv during severe winter conditions, prompting city officials to urge residents to seek temporary shelter
Russia carried out a large-scale overnight assault on Ukraine that included the rare deployment of the Oreshnik ballistic missile, marking only the second confirmed use of the weapon since it was first launched against Dnipro in November 2024.
Ukrainian authorities said the attack killed four people in Kyiv and injured at least 25 others as explosions echoed across the capital for hours.
Source: Getty Images
Loud blasts lit up the night sky while emergency crews worked through multiple impact zones. Social media footage showed fires and heavy damage in several neighbourhoods as residents sought shelter during the prolonged barrage.
Rare missile used in renewed assault
Moscow’s defence ministry said the strike was retaliation for an alleged Ukrainian drone attempt on President Vladimir Putin’s residence in late December, a claim Kyiv has denied. The ministry did not disclose the specific target of the Oreshnik missile. Shortly before midnight, videos circulated online showing repeated explosions near the western city of Lviv.
President Volodymyr Zelensky and local officials confirmed that a ballistic missile struck infrastructure around Lviv, roughly 60 kilometres from the Polish border. The Oreshnik is described as an intermediate-range hypersonic missile with a potential reach of up to 5,500 kilometres. Analysts say its warhead breaks into multiple inert projectiles during descent, creating a sequence of closely timed blasts.
“Such a strike close to EU and Nato border is a grave threat to the security on the European continent and a test for the transatlantic community,” Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said.
He added that the operation was launched “in response to [Putin's] own hallucinations,” referring to the alleged drone incident. European officials previously questioned whether the drone episode occurred at all, and former US president Donald Trump has also expressed doubt.
Source: Getty Images
Heavy toll on Kyiv and utilities
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the missile use was intended to send a message to Western capitals.
“Putin doesn't want peace, Russia's reply to diplomacy is more missiles and destruction. This deadly pattern of recurring major Russian strikes will repeat itself until we help Ukraine break it,” she wrote on X.
Zelensky said the overnight assault also involved 13 ballistic missiles, 22 cruise missiles, and 242 drones, many aimed at energy facilities and civilian areas. One projectile damaged a building at the Qatari embassy. He said the strikes targeted everyday life during freezing conditions and that restoration efforts were underway.
Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said a paramedic was killed after responding to a “double-tap” strike, where a second blast follows the first and hits rescuers. Several apartment buildings along the Dnipro River and in central districts sustained damage.
Winter disruptions deepen humanitarian strain
Power outages affected thousands of households as temperatures were forecast to drop to minus 15 degrees Celsius. Klitschko urged residents who could relocate temporarily to seek warmth.
“Half of Kyiv's apartment buildings - nearly 6,000 - are currently without heat due to damage to the capital's critical infrastructure caused by a massive enemy attack,” he wrote.
While Ukrainian crews worked to restore services, Russian officials reported that Ukrainian shelling cut electricity to parts of Belgorod and disrupted water and heating systems in Oryol, extending the energy strain on both sides of the conflict.
Source: Legit.ng
