Russia Hits Ukraine With Drones, Missiles; Oreshnik Used

Russia carried out a massive overnight attack on Ukraine on Friday, launching hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles, Ukrainian officials said. The assault killed at least four people and injured 25 others in Kyiv.

According to Ukraine, the attack involved 13 ballistic missiles, 22 cruise missiles, 242 drones, and Russia’s hypersonic Oreshnik missile. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said several areas of the capital were damaged, including the Qatari Embassy. He noted that Qatar has played an important role in mediating prisoner exchanges between the two countries.

Russia’s defence ministry claimed the strike was retaliation for an alleged Ukrainian attack on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s residence. However, Ukraine has denied carrying out any such strike, and US President Donald Trump said the claim never happened.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned the attack, calling it a serious threat to European security. He said the strike near the EU and NATO border was a test for the transatlantic alliance and dismissed Russia’s justification as “hallucinations.”

The attack came just hours after Zelensky warned that Russia was preparing a large-scale offensive, aiming to exploit freezing weather conditions in Kyiv that have made roads and streets extremely dangerous.

The European Union’s top diplomat described Russia’s use of the Oreshnik missile as a “clear escalation” in the conflict.

What is the Oreshnik Missile?

The Oreshnik is a hypersonic missile that travels at a speed of 13,000 km/h, nearly 10 times the speed of sound. Russian officials claim it is extremely difficult to intercept and can cause destruction similar to a nuclear weapon even with a conventional warhead.

The missile has a reported range of up to 5,500 kilometres, which, according to Russia’s missile forces chief, allows it to reach most of Europe. This marks only the second time Russia has used the Oreshnik, the first being in November 2024 during an attack on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro.

The latest barrage adds to the ongoing daily attacks on Ukraine as diplomatic efforts continue to find a breakthrough in what remains Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has continued its assault since then.