Russia has carried out a large-scale aerial assault on Ukraine, deploying its experimental Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile for only the second time since the weapon's development. The strike targeted a city just 60 miles from the NATO border with Poland, marking a significant escalation in the conflict.
A Grave Escalation Near the NATO Frontier
The attack, which occurred overnight into Friday, 9 January 2026, saw Russian forces fire the advanced intermediate-range missile at western Ukraine. Ukrainian authorities reported that the Oreshnik struck a state enterprise workshop near the Polish border, with submunitions causing damage to concrete structures and creating craters in a nearby forest.
Moscow claimed the launch was a direct response to an alleged Ukrainian drone strike on one of President Vladimir Putin's residences, an assertion Kyiv has firmly denied. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha labelled the justification "absurd," stating Putin was responding to "his own hallucinations." He warned that such an act close to the EU and NATO border constituted a grave threat to European security.
Capabilities and International Condemnation
The Oreshnik missile, derived from the RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental system, represents a formidable new threat. The US Pentagon has warned it could be fitted to carry nuclear warheads, though there was no indication of a nuclear component in this attack. President Putin has previously boasted that the missile's velocity, exceeding ten times the speed of sound, makes it impossible to intercept.
The assault has drawn swift condemnation from European leaders. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated the strike was "meant as a warning to Europe and to the US" and urged member states to provide more air defence systems to Ukraine. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz echoed the sentiment, declaring that Russia's "threatening gestures are intended to instill fear, but they will not work."
Wider Assault and Humanitarian Fallout
The Oreshnik launch was part of a broader offensive across Ukraine. Ukrainian tallies indicate Russia launched 278 missiles and drones, with air defences reportedly downing 244 of them. The capital, Kyiv, was hit hard, with at least four people killed and an attack leaving 500,000 residents without power. Mayor Vitali Klitschko urged people to consider temporary evacuation if possible.
The strikes on energy infrastructure come as Ukraine braces for a severe cold snap, with temperatures in Kyiv forecast to plunge to -15°C on Saturday morning. This follows a separate Russian air attack on Thursday that left one million people without electricity and heating in central and southeastern regions.
The attack also followed recent commitments from European nations, including the UK and France, to potentially deploy peacekeeping troops to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire. UK Defence Secretary John Healey visited the site of a strike on an apartment building in Kyiv after meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky, underscoring the UK's continued support.
