Russia said it had used its most advanced missile against Ukraine for the second time in the nearly four-year war, a strong signal to Kiev and its Western allies at a time when U.S.-led peace talks are entering a new and crucial phase, the Associated Press reported, quoted by BTA.
The hypersonic medium-range ballistic missile "Oreshnik" hit Lviv region in western Ukraine last night, though officials did not say whether it caused casualties. The area is located near a military base in neighboring Poland that serves as a major distribution center for military aid to Kiev.
Some Moscow commentators said the attack was a warning to European leaders about their proposals to deploy troops in Ukraine as part of a possible peace deal. Russia says it will not accept such a military deployment and will consider them legitimate targets.
Russia first used the Oreshnik against the Ukrainian city of Dnieper in November 2024. President Vladimir Putin said the Oreshnik, "hazel" in Russian, was descending at 10 times the speed of sound, or Mach 10, "like a meteorite" and was elusive to all missile defense systems.
He said the weapon was so powerful that several such missiles - even those carrying conventional warheads - could be as devastating as a nuclear strike. He said it could destroy underground bunkers “three, four or more floors underground“.
The Russian armed forces said that “Oreshnik“ can carry nuclear or conventional warheads and can reach any target in Europe.
Some Russian military bloggers noted that the strike in the Lviv region, not far from the Polish border, was a message to Kiev's allies.
“For the first time, NATO command was demonstrated a strategic strike practically on its border“, said military expert Valery Shiryaev. “This is intended to demonstrate the determination of the Russian military and political leadership to use such weapons with nuclear warheads if necessary“, he added.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) confirmed today that Russia had struck the Lviv region with its latest-generation missile tonight "Oreshnik", and published photos of the debris, reported Agence France-Presse.
Russia said it had fired this hypersonic ballistic missile against Ukraine for the second time since the beginning of its invasion of Ukraine four years ago, but did not specify the target of the strike.
The SSU said in a statement that it had located the debris in the Lviv region, which borders Poland, a member of the European Union and NATO.
Among the debris found were elements for stabilizing and guiding the missile, as well as parts of the engine, the SSU said.
This is the first official confirmation that the Lviv region was hit by this missile, capable of carrying several warheads, including a nuclear charge, according to AFP.
However, the SSU did not specify either the targets that were targeted or the extent of the damage.
The mayor of Lviv Andriy Sadovy reported this morning that a missile had been fired at Lviv region, without specifying whether it was an "Oreshnik". Russian military bloggers claim that a major gas storage facility located in Lviv region was hit. Sadovy limited himself to stating that "important infrastructure" was hit, but that the strikes caused no casualties.