The Russian Defense Ministry said an Oreshnik hypersonic missile was launched from a strategic nuclear testing site during massive overnight bombing of the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, less than 50 miles from the Polish border.
Explosions were reported in Lviv after the threat of an intermediate-range ballistic missile was detected from Russia’s Kapustin Yar site just before midnight, the Ukrainian air force said in a statement early Friday.
The Oreshnik — Russian for hazel tree — is a hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear payload and reaching Mach 10.
Ukrainian officials measured one missile, believed to be the Oreshnik, at 8,000 mph.
Russia also deployed drones and high-precision long-range land- and sea-based weapons during the late-night strikes.
“The strike’s targets were hit. The targets included facilities producing unmanned aerial vehicles used in the terrorist attack (allegedly against the Putin residence), as well as energy infrastructure supporting Ukraine’s military-industrial complex,” the ministry said in a statement.
Russian officials said the attack was in response to Putin’s claims that Ukraine had attempted to assassinate him at one of his residences with a massive drone strike in December.
CIA and Ukrainian officials dismissed the attack on Putin’s residence in the northwest Novgorod region, describing it as “a complete fabrication,” finding no evidence to support the Russian tyrant’s wild allegation.
Officials claimed the attack was Putin’s attempt to derail ongoing peace negotiations to end the nearly four-year-old invasion.
Thursday’s strike marks only the second time Russia has fired the missile across the border into Ukraine and signals an ominous threat to Ukraine and its Western allies.
It was first used in an attack around Dnipro back in November 2024.
Putin said he fired the first missile in response to Kyiv’s use of British and American missiles to attack Russian territory.
Putin described it as a medium-range missile, countering Ukraine’s claim that it was the first use of a full intercontinental ballistic missile.
The proximity of Thursday’s blast to NATO member Poland heightened fears of possible escalation.
Russian officials claimed the strikes damaged drone production sites and energy infrastructures.
Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi wrote on Telegram that the explosions damaged unspecified infrastructure.
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