Russia Launches Overnight Oreshnik Missile Strike, Killing Four and Disrupting Kyiv’s Winter Utilities
Updated (9 articles)
Overnight Oreshnik Strike Hits Kyiv and Western Ukraine Russia fired a hypersonic Oreshnik missile in a broad overnight barrage, the second use of the weapon since the war began, targeting Kyiv and the Lviv region near the Polish border [1][3][6]. At least four civilians were killed and between 22 and 25 injured, including emergency responders, while half of Kyiv’s 6,000 apartment blocks lost heat and water supplies were disrupted amid freezing temperatures [1][2][6]. Energy facilities across multiple regions suffered outages, leaving hundreds of thousands without power [3][6].
Russia Justifies Attack as Retaliation for Alleged Drone Hit Moscow’s defense ministry claimed the strike responded to a Ukrainian drone attack on President Putin’s residence in the Novgorod region, a narrative Kyiv and the United States categorically reject [1][2][5][6][8]. The claim remains unverified, and Russian officials did not provide evidence of the alleged drone strike [4][5].
International Condemnation and Calls for UN Action European leaders, the EU foreign policy chief, and the Pope denounced the missile use as escalatory and unacceptable, urging immediate diplomatic response [1][2][3][6]. Ukraine’s foreign minister announced plans to seek an urgent UN Security Council meeting and a NATO‑Ukraine council gathering to address the aggression [1].
Debris and Evidence Collected in Lviv Region Ukrainian security services recovered missile debris in the Lviv area, confirming the weapon’s launch from the Kapustin Yar test range near the Caspian Sea [1][3][6]. The strike’s proximity to a NATO logistics hub in Poland heightened regional security concerns [4][5].
U.S. and Allies Respond, Emphasize Air‑Defense Coordination President Zelensky appealed to President Trump for a decisive response, while meeting Britain’s defence secretary to discuss additional air‑defence support and joint operations with French forces [2][7]. The U.S. embassy in Kyiv issued a warning of a possible significant air attack and urged citizens to shelter, reflecting heightened alertness after the Oreshnik strikes [7]. Sanctions momentum grew, with U.S. officials signaling a new package against Moscow [1].
Sources (8 articles)
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[1]
AP: Russia launches overnight attack on Ukraine with hypersonic Oreshnik missile – Details the second Oreshnik strike, casualties, infrastructure damage, Russian retaliation claim, and Ukraine’s push for UN action .
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[2]
Newsweek: Zelensky urges Trump to act as Russia fires Oreshnik missiles and Ukraine endures freezing winter – Highlights Zelensky’s call to Trump, casualty figures, embassy damage, and coordination with allies on air‑defence .
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[3]
CNN: Russia fires Oreshnik missile at western Ukraine near Poland border triggering energy outages and international condemnation – Reports the missile’s launch near the NATO border, massive power outages, civilian vessel attacks, and global condemnation .
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[4]
CNN: Russia fires Oreshnik missile into Ukraine for second time signaling warning to West – Notes the second Oreshnik use, Lviv explosions, missile capabilities, and strategic context with NATO and INF Treaty .
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[5]
AP: Russia says second use of hypersonic Oreshnik missile strikes Ukraine near Lviv – Provides Russian framing of the strike as a warning, lack of casualties reported by Kyiv, and deployment to Belarus .
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[6]
BBC: Oreshnik missile used in fresh Russian strikes on Ukraine, Kyiv hit and Lviv targeted – Describes civilian toll, Russian retaliation claim, and missile technical specs .
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[7]
Newsweek: US warns of potentially significant air attack on Ukraine as Russia claims Oreshnik strike on Lviv – Covers U.S. embassy warning, possible air attack, and broader diplomatic talks .
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[8]
Newsweek: Russia launches Oreshnik nuclear missile in massive strike to avenge Putin residence – Emphasizes the missile’s nuclear‑capable description, casualty numbers, and dispute over the alleged drone attack .
Timeline
Dec 27, 2025 – Russian forces unleash a massive missile barrage on Kyiv, igniting explosions across the capital just two days before President Volodymyr Zelensky’s scheduled meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. Air‑defence systems engage incoming cruise and ballistic missiles, while eyewitnesses report intense blasts and a “storm of fire” over the city. The timing suggests Moscow aims to pressure peace talks that could reshape the four‑year war [9].
Jan 9, 2026 (early morning) – Russia fires the hypersonic, nuclear‑capable Oreshnik missile in an overnight strike that also deploys hundreds of drones and dozens of conventional missiles. Four civilians die and about 25 are wounded in Kyiv; half of the city’s 6,000 apartment blocks lose heat amid a harsh winter. Ukrainian security services recover Oreshnik debris in the Lviv region, prompting Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha to call for an urgent UN Security Council meeting [8].
Jan 9, 2026 (midday) – Moscow launches a second Oreshnik missile, this time targeting western Ukraine near the Polish border and a NATO logistics hub. Explosions rock Lviv and surrounding areas, but initial Ukrainian briefings report no casualties. The strike is framed by Russian officials as a “warning to the West” and underscores the weapon’s MIRV capability and Mach 10 speed [2][3][7].
Jan 9, 2026 (afternoon) – The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv issues a rare alert, urging American citizens to “be prepared to shelter immediately if an air alert is announced.” The warning, the first since early November, reflects Washington’s concern over a potentially significant Russian air campaign against civilian and energy infrastructure [5].
Jan 9, 2026 (evening) – President Zelensky posts on X, urging former President Donald Trump to “show a clear world reaction” and stressing that “U.S. signals are crucial” as Russia employs the Oreshnik missile. He meets with UK Defence Secretary John Healey, thanking Britain for missile aid and pressing for permanent allied coordination to counter Russian escalation [4].
Jan 9, 2026 (evening) – EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas declares the Oreshnik strike a “warning to Europe and the United States,” while President Vladimir Putin boasts that the missile “streaks at Mach 10, like a meteorite, and can destroy underground bunkers three, four or more floors down.” Both statements highlight the weapon’s strategic messaging role [1][7].
Jan 9, 2026 night – Russia claims the Oreshnik hit Lviv as retaliation for an alleged Ukrainian drone attack on Putin’s residence, a claim Kyiv and the United States reject. The strike kills at least four people in Kyiv, injures dozens, disrupts gas supplies in western Ukraine, and damages the Qatari embassy; a Comoros‑flagged vessel near Odesa is also hit, killing a Syrian crew member [1][4][5][6].
Jan 10, 2026 – Moscow’s defence ministry announces a “massive strike” that included the Oreshnik missile, emphasizing its nuclear‑capable design and noting that the system has been deployed to Belarus, where up to ten launchers are now stationed. Putin reiterates his 2024 confirmation of Oreshnik use, underscoring Russia’s expanding intermediate‑range missile posture amid stalled peace negotiations [6].
All related articles (9 articles)
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AP: Russia launches overnight attack on Ukraine with hypersonic Oreshnik missile
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Newsweek: Zelensky urges Trump to act as Russia fires Oreshnik missiles and Ukraine endures freezing winter
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CNN: Russia fires Oreshnik missile at western Ukraine near Poland border triggering energy outages and international condemnation
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CNN: Russia fires Oreshnik missile into Ukraine for second time signaling warning to West
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AP: Russia says second use of hypersonic Oreshnik missile strikes Ukraine near Lviv
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