Russia has confirmed that it used the Oreshnik ballistic missile as part of a massive overnight strike on Ukraine. Four people were killed and 25 others injured in Kyiv, where loud booms could be heard for several hours, setting the sky alight with explosions.
It only the second time that Moscow has used the Oreshnik, which was first deployed to hit Dnipro in November 2024. Russia's defense ministry claimed the strike was a retaliation for a Ukrainian drone attack on Vladimir Putin's residence in late December, which Kyiv denies.
While the ministry did not specify the target of the Oreshnik, videos began circulating on social media showing explosions on the outskirts of Lviv. Ukrainian authorities confirmed that a ballistic missile had struck infrastructure in Lviv, about 60km from the Polish border.
The Oreshnik is an intermediate-range, hypersonic ballistic missile with a potential reach of up to 5,500km. It is designed to fragment into multiple projectiles during its final descent, causing repeated explosions. Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha described the strike near EU and NATO borders as a grave threat to security on the European continent.
The strike was launched 'in response to [Putin's] own hallucinations,' he noted, referring to the alleged drone attack. The EU has expressed skepticism about the existence of such an attack, and former President Donald Trump also questioned its validity.
A paramedic was among those killed in Kyiv, where a 'double-tap' method was employed; the first strike intended to inflict casualties on the first responders. The assault targeted various locations, disrupting power in several neighborhoods during severe winter temperatures.
In retaliation, Ukrainian shelling left over half a million people without power in the Russian region of Belgorod. Ukrainian forces have also targeted Russian energy infrastructures that serve both military and civilian purposes.
