Russia says it launched its Oreshnik hypersonic missile at a target in Ukraine in response to an alleged Ukrainian drone attempt on a presidential residence—an allegation Kyiv denies. Moscow said the strike hit critical infrastructure and that it also used drones and long-range precision weapons. The Oreshnik, capable of carrying conventional or nuclear warheads and traveling at hypersonic speeds, was previously used in November 2024. Western officials have expressed skepticism about the missile's battlefield significance.
Russia Says It Fired Oreshnik Hypersonic Missile At Ukraine After Alleged Drone Incident
Smoke rises from a compound of car garages damaged during a Russian drone and missile attack, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, January 9, 2026. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko
Jan 9 (Reuters) - The Russian military said it fired an Oreshnik hypersonic missile at a target in Ukraine, describing the strike as retaliation for an alleged Ukrainian drone attempt on one of President Vladimir Putin's residences. Kyiv has denied the claim and called it false.
The Oreshnik, an intermediate-range hypersonic missile that Russia says travels at more than 10 times the speed of sound, was reported to have been launched from the Kapustin Yar test range near the Caspian Sea. Moscow has previously praised the weapon as difficult to intercept.
Although the missile can carry either conventional or nuclear warheads, Russian authorities gave no indication that a nuclear warhead was used in the overnight attack. The Russian Defence Ministry said the strike targeted "critical infrastructure" in Ukraine and said Moscow also employed attack drones and high-precision long-range weapons launched from land and sea platforms.
"The strike's targets were hit. The targets included facilities producing unmanned aerial vehicles used in the terrorist attack (allegedly against the Putin residence), as well as energy infrastructure supporting Ukraine's military-industrial complex," the ministry said in a statement.
Ukraine dismissed the allegation that its drones tried to strike a presidential residence in the Novgorod region at the end of December as "an absurd lie" aimed at undermining fragile peace talks. U.S. President Donald Trump said he did not believe the reported strike on the residence had occurred, though he suggested "something" unrelated happened nearby.
Strike Reported By Western Ukrainian Official
The governor of Ukraine's western Lviv region said a Russian attack struck infrastructure, and unverified social media posts claimed the site was a large underground gas storage facility. Reuters could not independently confirm those reports.
Ukraine's air force confirmed that Russia fired an Oreshnik missile launched from Kapustin Yar. Moscow first used the Oreshnik (the name means "hazel tree") in November 2024, when it said the weapon struck a military factory; Ukrainian sources at that time said the missile carried dummy warheads and caused limited damage.
Some Western officials have expressed skepticism about the Oreshnik's battlefield impact. One U.S. official said in December 2024 that the weapon was not viewed as a game-changer. In December, Russia released footage it said showed deployment of the Oreshnik missile system in Belarus, a move Moscow said would increase its ability to strike targets across Europe in a broader conflict.
(Reporting by Andrew Osborn; Edited by Mark Trevelyan)
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