Russia Launches Oreshnik Missile in New Attacks on Ukraine

Four Dead and 25 Injured in Attacks on Kyiv

Russia utilized the Oreshnik ballistic missile as part of a massive assault on Ukraine on Thursday night, according to authorities. Four individuals were killed and another 25 injured in Kyiv, where loud explosions could be heard for several hours, illuminating the sky.

This marked only the second time Moscow has deployed the Oreshnik, which was first unveiled in November 2024 to target the central city of Dnipro. The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the attack was in response to a Ukrainian drone strike on Vladimir Putin's residence in December, a claim Kyiv denies.

Ukrainian authorities confirmed that the ballistic missile struck infrastructure in Lviv, a city located about 60 kilometers from the Polish border. The Oreshnik is a hypersonic medium-range ballistic missile, capable of reaching distances up to 5,500 kilometers. It is believed to carry a warhead that fragments during the final descent into multiple inert projectiles, causing distinctive explosions.

“Such an attack near the borders of the EU and NATO poses a serious threat to security on the European continent,” stated Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha. He added that the attack was launched “as a response to [Putin's] hallucinations.”

Amid the assault in Kyiv, a series of missiles and hundreds of drones were launched, and a paramedic was among those killed while attempting to reach a damaged building. The city's mayor, Vitali Klitschko, noted it was a “double attack,” where the first strike was followed by a second targeting rescue teams.

Several areas in Kyiv were left without electricity amidst a harsh winter as the city prepares for temperatures dropping to -15°C. Strikes on energy facilities have become a constant feature of this war.