Russia deploys hypersonic 'Oreshnik' missile in massive retaliatory strike across Ukraine

Moscow: Russia’s Defence Ministry confirmed Friday that its military deployed the new Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile in a series of strikes across Ukraine, characterising the assault as a direct retaliation for an alleged drone attack on President Vladimir Putin’s residence last month.

The Kremlin claimed the Oreshnik system, along with other sea- and land-based missiles, targeted critical infrastructure. Both the Ukrainian government and U.S. President Donald Trump have previously dismissed Moscow’s allegations of a strike on Putin’s residence as baseless.

The overnight bombardment hit the capital and the western city of Lviv, killing at least four people and injuring 22 in Kyiv alone, according to local authorities.

In Lviv, Mayor Andriy Sadoviy reported that a ballistic missile struck vital infrastructure facilities. The Western Command of Ukraine's Air Force noted the projectile reached a velocity of 13,000 kilometres per hour (roughly 8,000 miles per hour). While investigators are still confirming the exact model of the rocket, the recorded speed is consistent with the flight profile of the Oreshnik.

The casualties in Kyiv included an emergency medical worker killed while responding to a drone strike on a residential building, which was hit a second time during the rescue operation. Ukraine's security service reported that five other rescue workers sustained injuries at the scenes of various strikes.

Damage was widespread across several Kyiv districts. In Desnyanskyi, one drone crashed into the roof of a high-rise, while another severely damaged the lower floors of a separate residential structure. In the Dnipro district, drone debris ignited a fire in a multi-story building. The capital's mayor, Vitali Klitschko, stated that the strikes caused significant disruptions to the city's water and electricity services.

The escalation comes just hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy cautioned the public about a looming large-scale offensive. Zelenskyy warned that Russian forces intended to exploit the region's freezing temperatures and dangerously icy road conditions to maximise the impact of their attacks.

With inputs from AP