Ukrainian officials said Russia deployed its Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile alongside hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles in a large-scale attack that killed at least two people and caused widespread destruction across Kyiv.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Russia launched a large-scale overnight aerial assault on Kyiv early Sunday that included use of the hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, marking the third reported deployment of the weapon since the start of the war.
The barrage struck multiple areas across the Ukrainian capital and surrounding region, damaging residential buildings, schools, warehouses, supermarkets, and areas near government facilities. Ukrainian officials said at least two people were killed during the attack.
Zelenskyy said in a Telegram post that the Oreshnik missile struck the city of Bila Tserkva in the Kyiv region, though officials did not immediately specify the intended target.
The attack combined large numbers of drones with missiles launched from air, land, and sea platforms. According to Ukraine’s Air Force, Russia deployed approximately 600 strike drones and 90 missiles during the assault.
Ukrainian air defense forces said they intercepted or electronically jammed 549 drones and 55 missiles. Officials also stated that 19 missiles failed to reach their intended targets.
The Oreshnik missile system was first used by Russia against the Ukrainian city of Dnipro in November 2024 and was reportedly deployed again in the Lviv region earlier this year.
Russian President Vladimir Putin previously described the Oreshnik as a missile capable of traveling at Mach 10, or roughly 10 times the speed of sound. Putin has stated the missile can carry either nuclear or conventional warheads and claimed it is capable of penetrating deep underground structures.
“The weapon travels like a meteorite,” Putin previously said, asserting that existing missile defense systems cannot intercept it.
Air raid sirens sounded throughout the night across Kyiv as explosions shook the city center and areas near government buildings. Smoke rose over multiple districts while emergency crews responded to fires and structural damage.
Associated Press reporters in Kyiv described hearing repeated blasts continuing through sunrise as additional missiles and drones approached the city.
Kyiv military administration chief Tymur Tkachenko said damage was recorded at approximately 40 separate sites throughout the capital.
In Kyiv’s Shevchenko district, emergency services reported that a five-story residential building was struck, igniting a fire and killing one person.
Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said a school building sustained damage while civilians were sheltering inside during the attack.
Regional governor Mykola Kalashnyk said multiple communities throughout the Kyiv region also suffered damage.
Residents described scenes of panic and devastation as the strikes unfolded overnight.
“It was a terrible night, and there had never been anything like it in the entire war,” said Kyiv resident Svitlana Onofryichuk, whose market workplace was destroyed during the attack.
“I am very sorry that I have to say goodbye to Kyiv now, I am not staying there anymore, there is no possibility,” she said. “My job is gone, everything is gone, everything has burned down.”
Another resident, 74-year-old Yevhen Zosin, said he grabbed his dog moments before an explosion shattered his apartment.
“Then there was another explosion and she and I were thrown back like a pin by the shock wave,” Zosin said. “We both survived, she and I. My apartment was blown to pieces.”
Earlier in the week, Zelenskyy warned that intelligence shared by the United States and allied Western governments indicated Russia was preparing another launch involving the Oreshnik system.
The overnight bombardment represented one of the largest combined drone and missile attacks on Kyiv in recent months as fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces continues into the fourth year of the war.
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