The Russian military has fired its hypersonic Oreshnik missile at a target in Ukraine, in response to what Moscow described as a failed Ukrainian drone attack on one of President Vladimir Putin’s residences last month, a claim Kyiv has denied.
This marks the second operational use of the intermediate-range Oreshnik missile, which President Putin has hailed as virtually impossible to intercept due to its speed, reportedly exceeding ten times the speed of sound.
The missile, capable of carrying nuclear warheads, was reportedly deployed with a conventional payload. The Russian Defence Ministry said the strike targeted critical infrastructure in Ukraine, including a factory producing drones allegedly used in the purported attack on Putin’s residence, as well as key energy facilities.
Lviv regional Governor Maksym Kozytskyi confirmed that a critical infrastructure site had been hit, while local media identified Stryi, a gas field with a large storage facility, as a probable target.
Russian media released footage purportedly showing the strike in western Ukraine, with multiple flashes followed by detonations across a snow-covered landscape. Reuters has not independently verified the video.
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Ukraine dismissed the Russian claim of a drone attack on Putin’s Novgorod residence on 29 December as “an absurd lie,” designed to undermine ongoing peace talks. Meanwhile, former U.S. President Donald Trump expressed scepticism about the alleged attack, saying he believes “something” occurred nearby but not at the residence itself.
The Ukrainian Air Force confirmed on Friday that the Oreshnik missile had been fired from Russia’s Kapustin Yar test range near the Caspian Sea.
Moscow first deployed the Oreshnik in November 2024, striking what it said was a military factory in Ukraine. Ukrainian sources reported that the missile carried dummy warheads, causing limited damage.
President Putin has previously described the Oreshnik’s destructive power as comparable to a nuclear weapon, even with conventional warheads. However, some Western officials have questioned the missile’s battlefield impact. A U.S. official noted in December 2024 that the weapon does not appear to be a decisive game-changer.
In December, Russia released footage showing the Oreshnik system stationed in Belarus, signalling Moscow’s intent to enhance its strike capabilities across Europe if conflict escalates.
