Russia said on Friday it used its new hypersonic Oreshnik missile in an attack on Ukraine, according to reports.
The Kremlin said the attack was carried out in response to an attempted Ukrainian drone strike on one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s homes, something Kiev has denied. according to Reuters.
The newspaper noted that Ukraine and the US have cast doubt on Russia’s claims about the alleged attempted attack on Putin’s residence on December 29, the report said. Ukraine called it “an absurd lie,” while President Donald Trump also doubted the veracity of the claim, saying he did not believe the strike took place and that “something” was happening nearby that was unrelated.
This is the second time Russia has used the medium-range Oreshnik, which Putin says is impossible to intercept due to its speed, Reuters reported.
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Part of Russia’s nuclear-capable hypersonic Oreshnik missile system at the site of the Russian missile attack, amid the Russian attack on Ukraine, in the Lviv region, Ukraine, January 9, 2026. (Security Service of Ukraine/Issuing via Reuters)
Russia’s Defense Ministry said the attack targeted critical infrastructure in Ukraine, according to Reuters, which added that Russia said the attack also used attack drones and long-range, high-precision land and sea weapons.
Although Moscow did not say where the missile hit, Russian media and military bloggers said it attacked an underground natural gas storage facility in Ukraine’s western Leviv region. CBS News reports this. Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadoviy said the attack hit critical infrastructure but did not provide details, the outlet added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the attack on social media, saying the aftermath was “still being worked on.”
“Twenty residential buildings alone were damaged. Reconstruction work after the strikes also continues in the Lviv region and other regions of our country. Unfortunately, so far it is known that four people have died in the capital alone. Among them is an ambulance crew member. My condolences to their families and loved ones,” Zelenskyy wrote.
A resident stands on the balcony of his apartment, damaged in a Russian drone strike, during the Russian attack on Ukraine, in Kiev, Ukraine, on January 9, 2026. (Anatolii Stepanov/Reuters)
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The Ukrainian leader said the attack involved 242 drones, 13 ballistic missiles, one Oreshnik missile and 22 cruise missiles. Zelenskyy added that the ballistic missiles targeted energy facilities and civilian infrastructure as the people of Ukraine faced “a significant cold snap.” He said the attack was “precisely targeted at the normal lives of ordinary people.” However, he assured that Ukraine was restoring heating and electricity.
Zelenskyy claimed that in addition to civilian infrastructure, a Qatari embassy building was also damaged in the attack.
Apartment buildings hit by a Russian missile strike late yesterday, amid the Russian attack on Ukraine, in the city of Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine, on January 9, 2026. (Stringer/Reuters)
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“A clear response is needed from the world. Especially from the United States, to whose signals Russia is really paying attention. Russia must receive signals that its duty is to focus on diplomacy, and must feel the consequences every time it refocuses on killings and the destruction of infrastructure,” Zelenskyy added.
