Oreshnik Over Kyiv: Russia Fires Nuclear-Capable Hypersonic Missile in One of War’s Heaviest Overnight Strikes
Around 600 drones and 90 missiles launched; residential buildings, schools, metro infrastructure hit; EU calls it ‘reckless nuclear brinkmanship’ Russia launched one of the most intense aerial assaults of the war on Kyiv overnight, deploying hundreds of drones, dozens of missiles, and in only its third confirmed use since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022 a nuclear-capable Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile.
Explosions reverberated across the Ukrainian capital for hours after midnight as air raid sirens blared. By dawn, thick black smoke hung over parts of the city, with firefighters still battling fires and rescue workers sifting through rubble.
RUSSIA CONFIRMS ORESHNIK USE
Russia’s defence ministry confirmed the deployment, stating that the strike was carried out “in response to Ukraine’s terrorist attacks on civilian infrastructure on Russian territory.” The ministry said the assault involved Oreshnik ballistic missiles, Iskander air-launched ballistic missiles, Kinzhal hypersonic air-launched ballistic missiles, and Tsirkon cruise missiles.
President Vladimir Putin has previously described the Oreshnik as nearly impossible to intercept, citing its reported speed of more than ten times the speed of sound.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched around 600 drones and 90 missiles during the overnight assault. Air defences intercepted most of them, but several struck residential areas and public infrastructure.
ZELENSKYY: ‘THEY ARE GENUINELY DERANGED’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia directed an Oreshnik missile at Bila Tserkva, a city approximately 64 kilometres from Kyiv. He accused Moscow of deliberately targeting civilian life and essential infrastructure.
“Three Russian missiles against a water supply facility, a market burnt down, dozens of residential buildings damaged, several ordinary schools, and he launched his ‘Oreshnik’ against Bila Tserkva,” Zelenskyy said. “They are genuinely deranged.”
KYIV WAKES TO FIRE AND RUBBLE
As dawn broke, the scale of the destruction came into focus. Several residential buildings sustained heavy damage, including a five-storey apartment block whose front section partially collapsed. Schools, business centres, warehouses, and parts of the city’s metro infrastructure were also hit. In one district, debris blocked the entrance to a school shelter, trapping civilians inside after a nearby strike. Windows were blown out at Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry building, and damage was reported near Independence Square.
“It was a terrible night for Kyiv,” Mayor Vitali Klitschko wrote on Telegram. “Right now, rescuers are putting out fires and clearing debris. Medics are providing assistance to the victims.” Beyond Kyiv, the regions of Cherkasy, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, and Sumy also came under attack, with officials reporting civilian casualties after drones struck apartment buildings and civilian facilities.
CONTEXT: RETALIATION FOR STAROBILSK STRIKE
The barrage followed Russia’s accusation that Ukraine had carried out a drone strike on a student dormitory in Starobilsk, a Russian-occupied city in eastern Ukraine, killing at least 18 people, many of them young women. Ukraine denied targeting civilians, saying the strike was aimed at a Russian drone unit operating in the area. Russia’s foreign ministry had warned that those responsible would face “inevitable and severe punishment.”
EUROPEAN REACTION
European leaders condemned the overnight bombardment. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas described the use of the Oreshnik as “reckless nuclear brinkmanship,” while other Western officials warned the conflict was entering an increasingly dangerous phase.