Russia Confirms Deployment of Oreshnik Hypersonic Missile in Massive Ukraine Strike

The Russian government announced on Friday the use of its latest Oreshnik hypersonic missile, alongside various other armaments, in a significant offensive against Ukraine.

Ukrainian authorities reported the tragic loss of four lives, with at least 22 more injured in a nocturnal assault on the capital. While Russia withheld details on the specific target of the Oreshnik, reports from Russian news outlets and military bloggers claimed it aimed at a major subterranean natural gas reservoir in the western region of Lviv.

According to Russia's Defense Ministry, this action was a direct response to events occurring the previous month. Kiev's and former President Trump's dismissal of Russian accusations surrounding an alleged attack on President Putin’s residence were also noted. The Ministry elaborated that high-precision long-range artillery from land and sea, along with drones, were part of this strike, as covered by Reuters.

Reportedly, the Ukrainian air force stated the Russian offensive involved an array of 242 drones and 36 missiles, which included the Oreshnik. Nevertheless, defensive measures managed to neutralize 226 drones and about half of the missiles.

Mayor Andriy Sadoviy of Lviv cited a ballistic missile strike targeting critical infrastructure, though he withheld specific details. He mentioned that the missile achieved velocities exceeding 8,000 miles per hour, with further investigation required to determine the exact type of missile used.

Initially tested in November 2024, the Oreshnik, meaning hazelnut tree in Russian, was launched towards a Ukrainian factory. President Putin has emphasized the missile’s capability to travel at speeds tenfold that of sound, making interception virtually impossible. A conventional assault with multiple Oreshnik missiles could rival the devastation of a nuclear attack. Additionally, these missiles possess the capability to carry nuclear payloads.

President Putin has also cautioned Western nations about the possibility of deploying the Oreshnik against allies of Ukraine, in response to the use of longer-range missiles from their territory directed at Russia.

On social media, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha expressed grave concerns about Russia’s decision to launch the Oreshnik close to both EU and NATO frontiers. He labeled this as a severe threat to Europe’s security and urged for robust reactions to Russia’s hazardous actions, as covered by AFP.

The aftermath of the night-time bombardment in Kyiv’s vicinity included the death of a medical emergency responder, according to Tymur Tkachenko from the Kyiv City Military Administration. Additionally, five rescuers faced injuries amid their response efforts in targeted locations, as disclosed by Ukraine's security services.

Kyiv faced multiple attacks throughout various districts. Tymur Tkachenko reported a drone crashing atop a high-rise in the Desnyanskyi area and damage inflicted to the lowest floors of another residential building at a different site within the same district.

Moreover, the bombing in the Dnipro district damaged another multi-story building, igniting a fire.

The offensive led to outages in water supply and electricity in sections of the capital, as confirmed by Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko.

These events unfolded shortly after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine indicated the prospect of a large-scale Russian invasion, highlighting the strategic use of treacherous wintry conditions in the capital by Russia to their advantage.