Russia just used its new hypersonic missile again in Ukraine. Here’s what to know about the Oreshnik
Russia said Friday it used its latest missile against Ukraine for a second time in the nearly 4-year-old war, a forceful signal to Kyiv and its Western allies as U.S.-led peace talks have entered a new and crucial stage.
2026-01-09 15:11:56 - VI News Staff
The hypersonic Oreshnik intermediate range ballistic missile hit Ukraine’s western Lviv region late Thursday night, although officials there did not mention any casualties. The area is near a military base in neighboring Poland, a NATO member, that serves as a key hub for ferrying Western military supplies to Kyiv.
Some Moscow commentators said the attack was a warning to European leaders against proposals to deploy their troops to Ukraine as part of a prospective peace deal. Russia has said it won’t accept such a deployment and would view those forces as legitimate targets.
A look at the weapon and why Russia used it now: