Ukraine Says Russia Used Oreshnik Hypersonic Missile Against Kyiv

Russia employed its hypersonic Oreshnik missile during a significant overnight bombardment of Kyiv, Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuri Ignat reported. The attack, which occurred Saturday night into Sunday, targeted the Ukrainian capital and resulted in casualties, including two deaths and 56 injuries.

According to Ukrainian media outlets Ukrainska Pravda and RBC-Ukraine, the Oreshnik missile was among approximately 690 attack systems, primarily drones, used by Russia in the assault. Ignat stated that the missile was launched from the Kasputin Yar testing base, located roughly 1,400 kilometers east of Kyiv.

The Oreshnik is a hypersonic weapon system that Russia has reportedly used against Ukrainian territory on multiple occasions. The Kyiv Independent noted that Russia's first documented use of an Oreshnik against Ukraine occurred in November 2024, targeting the city of Dnipro. Subsequently, the missile was reportedly used again on January 9 against the western region of Lviv.

This latest deployment underscores Russia's continued use of advanced weaponry in its ongoing conflict with Ukraine. The use of hypersonic missiles presents a significant challenge for air defense systems due to their speed and maneuverability.

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the Russians launched the missile from the Kasputin Yar testing base