Russia has launched a new hypersonic missile against Ukraine in what it describes as a retaliatory strike, escalating tensions and posing a direct challenge to European security. The overnight attack, which also involved drones targeting the capital Kyiv, resulted in casualties and damage to critical infrastructure.
Hypersonic Missile Strike Near EU Border
On Friday, Russia's military confirmed it had fired its advanced Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile at a target in western Ukraine, close to the border with the European Union. Ukrainian authorities verified the strike occurred in the Lviv region, where a critical infrastructure facility was reportedly damaged. Unverified reports suggest the target may have been a significant underground gas storage site.
Moscow justified the launch as retaliation for an alleged attempted Ukrainian drone attack on President Vladimir Putin's residence in late March – a claim vehemently denied by both Kyiv and Washington. Ukraine's foreign minister dismissed the reasoning as "absurd" and warned that deploying such a high-tech weapon so near to NATO and EU frontiers represents a "grave threat" to the continent, urging allies to increase pressure on the Kremlin.
Symbolic Power and European Response
This marks only the second known use of the Oreshnik – named after the Russian word for hazel tree – since its debut in November 2024. Initial assessments from Friday's strike indicate the missile may again have been armed with inert, or dummy, warheads, suggesting its primary purpose was symbolic intimidation rather than maximum destruction.
President Putin has frequently touted the Oreshnik as an unstoppable weapon, claiming it travels at over ten times the speed of sound and carries the destructive power of a nuclear warhead even with conventional explosives. While some Western analysts remain sceptical of these assertions, Ukraine currently lacks air defence systems capable of intercepting it.
The missile launch capped a week where Ukraine's European allies, including Britain and France, made significant strides in discussing postwar security guarantees, including the potential future deployment of troops following a peace deal. Russia's foreign ministry has already rejected this prospect as a "direct threat," casting further doubt on the viability of negotiated peace talks.
Kyiv Attacked as Casualties Mount
Concurrent with the Oreshnik launch, Russian forces carried out a separate drone assault on Kyiv in the early hours of Friday. The attack struck several districts of the Ukrainian capital, killing at least one person and injuring five rescue workers who responded to the scene, according to Ukrainian officials.
Photographs from the aftermath showed residents standing near their apartment building, which was damaged in the strike, highlighting the ongoing toll on civilian areas. The coordinated nature of the attacks – a high-profile missile launch paired with sustained drone bombardment – underscores Russia's continued strategy of applying military pressure across multiple fronts.
