KYIV JAN 09 : Russia deployed its advanced Oreshnik hypersonic missile against Ukraine on Friday, part of a large-scale overnight assault that killed at least four people and injured 22 in Kyiv. The Russian Defence Ministry said it struck “strategic targets” using the Oreshnik alongside 36 missiles and 242 drones of various types, including Iskander ballistic missiles and Kalibr cruise missiles.
The Oreshnik missile landed close to the European Union and NATO border, striking critical infrastructure in Ukraine’s western Lviv region. Ukrainian Foreign Minister labeled the attack a “grave threat” to European security and called it a “test” for Kyiv’s allies. Russian media reported the hypersonic weapon, which travels at speeds exceeding 13,000 kilometers per hour, targeted a massive underground natural gas storage facility in Lviv.
Multiple districts across the Ukrainian capital suffered extensive damage from the overnight bombardment. In the Desnyanskyi district, drones crashed onto residential buildings, damaging the first two floors of one structure, while debris in the Dnipro district triggered fires in multi-story buildings. Among the casualties was an emergency medical worker, with five additional rescue personnel injured while responding to attack sites. The strikes disrupted water supply and electricity in parts of Kyiv, exacerbating difficulties as freezing temperatures and icy conditions gripped the capital.
Russia claimed the assault was retaliation for an alleged Ukrainian drone attack in December targeting President Vladimir Putin’s residence, though Ukraine has denied any involvement. Meanwhile, a Ukrainian counter-offensive knocked out heat and electricity for more than 556,000 people in Russia’s border region of Belgorod as temperatures remained near freezing. The escalation came just hours after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned of Russia’s plans for a major offensive, saying Moscow sought to exploit the harsh winter conditions to complicate emergency response efforts.
