Russia has used hypersonic Oroshnik missile in Kyiv attack

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that Russia used a powerful hypersonic Oroshnik ballistic missile in an overnight missile and drone attack on Kiev.

The Russian military later confirmed that it had used the missile.

The attack came after Moscow threatened to retaliate for the attack in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine.

What do we know about the attack?

Russia launched a missile attack on the town of Bila Tserkva in the Kiev region, Zelensky said in a Telegram post. The goal was not immediately clear.

This is the third time this weapon, capable of carrying nuclear or conventional warheads, has been used in Ukraine.

In the early hours of Sunday, Russia launched a massive attack on Kiev with missiles and drones, killing at least four people and injuring dozens in the capital city and its surrounding region.

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, the combined attack included 600 strike drones and 90 air, sea and land-launched missiles.

Ukrainian air defenses destroyed and jammed 549 drones and 55 missiles. The Air Force said around 19 missiles failed to reach the target.

“The capital has been hit by a massive ballistic missile attack,” Timur Tkachenko, head of the Kiev City Military Administration, wrote on Telegram.

“At least 4 locations are currently reported to be affected by the attack: Shevchenkivsky, Dniprovsky and Podilsky districts. There are preliminary reports of fires and damage to residential buildings,” Tkachenko said.

Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram that falling debris also caused a fire at a school complex in central Kiev.

Damaged building in Kyiv, Ukraine
Many residential buildings were damaged in Russian attacksImage: Efrem Lukatsky/AP Photo/dpa/Picture Alliance

Russia warned of retaliation

On Saturday, Ukrainian President Zelensky had already warned of a possible Russian attack using the Oresnik missile, citing intelligence from Ukraine, the US and Europe.

“We are seeing signs of preparation for a joint attack on Ukrainian territory, including Kiev, with various types of weapons, including Oreshnik,” Zelensky said in a post on social media.

Ukraine’s kill zone, where drones hunt humans

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The warning comes after Ukraine launched a drone strike in the Russian-occupied east, which Moscow said targeted a college dormitory and killed at least 18 people.

However, Ukraine has denied targeting civilians, saying it targeted a Russian drone unit deployed in the Starobilsk area of ​​the Luhansk region.

Edited by: Dmytro Lyubenko, Natalie Muller

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