ALBAWABA- In a significant escalation of the conflict, Russia announced that it had deployed its advanced Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile in overnight strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure.
The Russian Defense Ministry said the missile targeted drone production facilities and energy sites in the Lviv region near the Polish border, in retaliation for a Ukrainian drone attack on Russian territory in late December 2025.
This marks only the second combat use of the nuclear-capable hypersonic weapon, following its first deployment against a factory in Dnipro in November 2024.
Ukrainian officials reported that the missile, traveling at speeds up to 13,000 km/h, struck civilian infrastructure and created craters in a forested area, though exact damage assessments remain unclear. Additional strikes across Ukraine killed at least four people and wounded 22 in Kyiv, aggravating power outages amid harsh winter conditions.
The attack comes as U.S.-led peace negotiations struggle to advance, with Ukraine and its allies proposing security guarantees against future Russian aggression.
The Oreshnik’s deployment near NATO borders is a deliberate signal to Western powers, demonstrating Moscow’s capability to strike deep into Europe. The missile, based on modernized Soviet-era technology, underscores Russia’s ongoing effort to upgrade its arsenal during the nearly four-year war, which has seen intensified aerial campaigns.
In response, Ukraine has requested an emergency UN Security Council meeting, scheduled for January 12 at 3 p.m. New York time, to address the strikes and repeated Oreshnik deployments.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned the attacks as a “grave threat” to European security, dismissing Moscow’s retaliation claims as “hallucinations” and urging stronger international pressure. Kyiv also plans to convene the Ukraine-NATO Council.
Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, defended the strikes as necessary for national defense and warned of further responses if Western support for Ukraine continues.
