Nga tập kích Ukraine bằng tên lửa siêu vượt âm Oreshnik có tốc độ 13.000 km/h

Russia officially confirmed that it used Oreshnik hypersonic missiles to attack Ukraine on the night of January 8th, in retaliation for Kyiv's earlier attack on President Vladimir Putin's residence.

Residential buildings were plunged into darkness after a power outage caused by Russian missiles and drones hitting critical civilian infrastructure in the city of Dnipro on January 8th - Photo: REUTERS

According to Reuters, in the attack on Ukraine on the night of January 8th local time, Russia used Oreshnik hypersonic missiles – one of Moscow's most advanced weapons – in retaliation for Kyiv's earlier attack on President Vladimir Putin's residence.

The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the overnight airstrike targeted Ukrainian energy facilities and drone production sites, using a variety of high-precision long-range weapons launched from land and sea, including the Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile system.

According to Moscow, the attack was in retaliation for Ukraine's attempt to use drones to strike one of Putin's residences in the Novgorod region in late December 2025.

However, Kyiv completely denied this accusation, calling it a "lie," while US officials said the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) assessed that Ukraine did not target any residences of the Russian leader. US President Donald Trump also stated that he did not believe Ukraine carried out the attack.

In western Ukraine, local officials confirmed that the Russian attack hit an infrastructure target in the Lviv region on the night of January 8th, but did not provide details about the type of weapon used.

Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi and Regional Governor Maksym Kozytskyi both avoided directly mentioning the possibility that Russia launched the Oreshnik missile when posting information on Telegram.

According to Ukrainian media, Russia used a ballistic missile in the attack, traveling at nearly 13,000 km/h, equivalent to about 10 times the speed of sound. However, Ukraine emphasized that more time is needed to accurately identify the type of missile, based on analysis of debris recovered at the scene.

On the night of January 8th, Russia is also believed to have launched a total of 36 missiles and 242 drones targeting Ukraine.

In response to the latest airstrike, Kyiv warned that Moscow's use of drones and missiles – including the Oreshnik – is not only an act targeting Ukrainian territory, but also threatens the security of all of Europe.

"An attack taking place so close to the borders of the European Union and NATO poses a serious threat to security on the European continent, as well as a test for the transatlantic community. We demand a strong response to Russia's reckless actions," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga wrote on social media.

The Oreshnik missile is one of the most modern weapons in Russia's missile arsenal. According to Russian military officials, this missile can reach speeds of approximately 10 times the speed of sound, with a range sufficient to reach most targets across Europe.

In addition, the Oreshnik is capable of carrying multiple warheads and can be equipped with conventional or nuclear warheads.

Moscow first used this type of missile in November 2024 in an attack on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro, although the system was not yet fully developed at that time.

President Putin then asserted that the Oreshnik was virtually impossible to intercept due to its speed exceeding 10 times the speed of sound, and claimed its destructive power was comparable to a nuclear weapon, even when using a conventional warhead.

Last month, Russia also released a video showing the deployment of the Oreshnik in Belarus – a close ally of Moscow.