-
Translated by: Blerta Haxhiu
- 9 January 2026 12:21
- Share to:
Russia has used a nuclear-capable ballistic missile, the Oreshnik, in a massive overnight air strike against Ukraine. In Kiev, four people were killed and 25 others injured on Thursday evening, while powerful explosions were heard for several hours, the BBC reports.
This is only the second time Moscow has used the Oreshnik missile. It was first used in November 2024, when the central city of Dnipro was hit.
The Russian Defense Ministry said the strike was in response to a Ukrainian drone attack on President Vladimir Putin's residence in late December, a charge Kiev has denied. The ministry did not specify the exact target of the Oreshnik missile, but shortly before midnight (22:00 GMT) videos circulated on social media showing multiple explosions on the outskirts of the western city of Lviv.
President Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukrainian authorities confirmed that a ballistic missile had hit infrastructure in Lviv, about 60 kilometers from the border with Poland.
"Oreshnik" is a medium-range hypersonic ballistic missile, capable of reaching up to 5.500 kilometers.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha stated that "such an attack so close to the border of the EU and NATO poses a serious threat to security on the European continent and is a test for the transatlantic community."
He added that the attack was carried out "in response to Putin's own hallucinations," referring to the claims of a drone attack on the Russian president's residence.
The European Union immediately expressed serious doubts about whether the alleged attack on Putin had actually occurred, while last week Donald Trump stated that he did not believe such an attack had occurred.
Zelensky said that, in addition to the Oreshnik missile, Russia launched 13 other ballistic missiles that hit energy facilities and civilian infrastructure, as well as 22 cruise missiles and 242 drones. One of them also damaged a building of the Qatari embassy.
He accused Russia of targeting the normal lives of ordinary people, especially during a cold period, and stressed that authorities were doing everything possible to restore heating and electricity.