Rare Hypersonic Missile Launched Against Ukraine

“KYIV, Ukraine -- Russia launched its nuclear-capable hypersonic Oreshnik missile against Ukraine for only the second time, hitting the western region of Lviv near the Polish border overnight in a significant escalation of its aerial campaign as another wave of drones and missiles struck the capital, Kyiv.

 

Russian leader Vladimir Putin first unveiled the Oreshnik in an attack on central Ukraine over a year ago to warn the West against further involvement in the war after Ukraine attacked Russia with U.S. and U.K.-supplied missiles.

 

 The new missile appeared to have a greater range and speed than other weapons Russia had used in confict until that point.

 

The missile targeting Lviv, wasn't fitted with nuclear warheads.

 

This time, Russia's Defense Ministry said the Oreshnik strike in Lviv and the barrage of drones and missiles directed at Kyiv were in response to what Moscow alleged was a Ukrainian attack against one of Putin's residences in late December.

 

Russia subsequently threatened to recalibrate its already hard-line position on ending the conflict and pledged a response, which appeared to come in the early hours of Friday.

 

Near the border with Poland, a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, residents in the Lviv region said they barely had time to react to alerts.

 

"Everything happened extremely fast," Lviv Mayor Andrii Sadovyi said. "Very powerful explosions rang out and after the explosions, we received information that it was a ballistic missile."

 

He said the attack damaged critical infrastructure, though no casualties were reported.

 

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha posted on X that "this is truly a global threat. And it demands global responses."

 

He said Ukraine would initiate an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council.

 

The countrywide attack which involved 242 drones and 36 missiles crucially, crippled heating systems as temperatures dropped to about -11 degrees Celsius.

 

The Russian Defense Ministry said it had successfully struck drone-production sites and energy infrastructure powering the Ukrainian military effort.” [1]

 

1. World News: Rare Hypersonic Missile Launched Against Ukraine. Malenko, Anastasiia.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 10 Jan 2026: A8.