Vladimir Putin has boldly deployed the nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile, reaching speeds of 8,000mph, in an attack on Ukraine, with one missile striking dangerously close to a NATO member. The assault on the capital city of Kyiv resulted in four fatalities and at least 22 injuries, as confirmed by Ukrainian authorities. While Russian officials remained silent on the missile’s exact impact location, reports from military bloggers and local media suggested that some missiles targeted a significant underground natural gas storage facility near the Polish border in the Lviv region.
The Russian Defence Ministry justified the attack as a response to what Moscow claimed was a drone strike by Ukraine on President Putin’s residence the previous month. Both Ukraine and U.S. President Donald Trump have refuted Russia’s allegations regarding the attack on Putin’s residence.
Lviv mayor Andriy Sadoviy disclosed that Russia had targeted critical infrastructure with a ballistic missile, although specific details were not provided. He mentioned that the missile traveled at speeds exceeding 8,000 miles per hour and that investigations were ongoing to determine the exact type of rocket used.
The Oreshnik missile, named after the hazelnut tree in Russian, was initially tested by Russia in November 2024 when it targeted a Ukrainian factory. Putin boasted about Oreshnik’s capabilities, stating that its multiple warheads descend at speeds of up to Mach 10 and are uninterceptable. He also highlighted the devastating impact of several Oreshnik missiles in a conventional strike, equating it to a nuclear attack, as the missile has the capacity to carry nuclear warheads.
Amidst warnings from the Russian leader that the Oreshnik could be used against Kyiv’s allies next, casualties from the overnight attack on Kyiv included an emergency medical aid worker, as reported by Tymur Tkachenko, the head of Kyiv city’s military administration. Furthermore, five rescue workers were injured during their response to the attack sites.
The assault led to various damages across different districts of Kyiv, including a drone crash on a building in the Desnyanskyi district, as well as a fire outbreak in the Dnipro district. The attack also caused disruptions to essential services like running water and electricity in parts of the capital, according to Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko.
The strike occurred shortly after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy alerted the nation about Russia’s plans for a significant offensive, taking advantage of the icy conditions caused by freezing weather in the capital.
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