Russia attacks Ukraine with new Oreshnik ballistic missile

Russia has confirmed the use of its Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile in a large-scale overnight strike on Ukraine, marking a rare deployment of the advanced weapon system amid the ongoing conflict.The Russian Defence Ministry said early Friday that it carried out a “massive strike” on critically important targets in Ukraine using long-range, high-precision weapons launched from land and sea, including the Oreshnik hypersonic missile system. The strike was described as retaliation for an alleged Ukrainian drone attack late last year on a residence used by President Vladimir Putin.

NEW: Russian Defense Ministry confirms Oreshnik ballistic missile used in latest strike on Ukraine pic.twitter.com/iwzjhCuFZA

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The Oreshnik missile, while capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, can also be fitted with conventional warheads, as was the case in the latest attack, according to Russian officials.However, the United States and several other countries have rejected Moscow’s claims that Putin’s residence was targeted. Ukraine has dismissed the allegation as a “lie,” accusing Russia of using it as a pretext to divert attention from its reluctance to engage in peace talks. Russia has not provided any evidence to support its claim that the residence on the shores of Lake Valdai in Russia’s Novgorod region was attacked.
In its statement, the Russian Defence Ministry said the targets included facilities involved in the production of drones allegedly used in the purported attack on Putin’s residence, as well as energy infrastructure “supporting the operation of Ukraine’s military-industrial complex.” The ministry claimed that “the objectives of the strike were achieved,” adding that “any terrorist actions by the criminal Ukrainian regime will continue to be met with a response.”Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched 36 missiles and 242 drones during the attack, including one hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile. According to the air force, Ukrainian defences shot down 226 drones and 18 missiles, while 18 missiles and 16 attack drones struck their targets across 19 sites.
The attack came amid heightened warnings from Western officials. The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv on Thursday cautioned that a “potentially significant air attack” could occur at any time over the next several days.The Oreshnik missile was previously used in late 2024, when President Putin said its deployment was a response to Ukraine’s use of long-range Western-supplied weapons to strike targets inside Russia for the first time. At the time, Putin claimed there was “no means of intercepting” the intermediate-range ballistic missile and said Russia would continue testing the system.U.S. President Donald Trump initially said he was “very angry” after hearing about the alleged attack on Putin’s residence directly from the Russian leader, but later stated that U.S. officials had determined the residence was not targeted.