In a bold move, Vladimir Putin deployed the nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile, traveling at speeds of 8,000mph, in an attack on Ukraine, with one missile landing near a NATO member. Ukrainian authorities reported four fatalities and at least 22 injuries in the assault on Kyiv. While Russian officials remained silent on the missile’s target, sources in Ukraine indicated that some missiles struck a significant underground natural gas storage facility in the Lviv region bordering Poland.
The Russian Defense Ministry stated that the strike was in retaliation for a purported Ukrainian drone attack on President Putin’s residence a month earlier. However, both Ukraine and former US President Donald Trump have refuted Russia’s claim regarding the alleged drone strike on Putin’s residence.
Lviv’s mayor, Andriy Sadoviy, disclosed that Russia hit critical infrastructure with a ballistic missile but did not provide specific details. He mentioned that the missile’s speed exceeded 8,000 miles per hour, and further investigation was ongoing to determine the exact rocket type.
The Oreshnik missile, first tested by Russia in November 2024 against a Ukrainian factory, boasts multiple warheads reaching speeds up to Mach 10, making interception difficult. Putin has asserted that a conventional strike utilizing multiple Oreshnik missiles could be as devastating as a nuclear assault, as the missile is also capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
Following the strike on Ukraine’s capital, which claimed the life of an emergency medical aid worker, five rescue workers sustained injuries while responding to the attack sites, as reported by Ukraine’s security service. The attacks caused property damage, including a drone crash on a building roof in the Desnyanskyi district and structural damage to a residential building elsewhere in the district.
In the Dnipro district, a drone caused damage to a multi-storey building leading to a fire outbreak, disrupting water and electricity supply in parts of Kyiv, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko. The assault occurred shortly after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned the nation about Russia’s plans for a large-scale offensive, taking advantage of icy road conditions due to freezing weather in the capital.
