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Russia deploys Orechnik missile against western Ukraine infrastructure
Russia struck critical infrastructure in Ukraine's western Lviv Oblast with an intermediate-range ballistic missile Orechnik in the early hours of January 9, marking only the second confirmed use of this advanced weapon since Moscow's invasion, according to Ukrainian officials and military monitoring channels.
Lviv Oblast Governor Maksym Kozytskyi confirmed the attack via Telegram, stating that "a critical infrastructure facility was targeted in the Lviv region." The strike landed about 70 kilometers from the Polish border, bringing it perilously close to NATO and European Union territory.
Ukrainian military blogs shared images of six sequential impacts, matching the Orechnik's signature payload of six independently targetable warheads. Monitoring channels reported a likely launch from Russia's Kapustin Yar test site in Astrakhan Oblast. The target appeared to be the Stryi gas field and storage facility, though authorities withheld full details.
Multiple sources indicated the warheads were apparently empty or inert, carrying no conventional explosives. The Orechnik, meaning "hazelnut" in Russian, travels at hypersonic speeds exceeding Mach 10 and proves extremely hard to intercept.
This marked the second deployment of the Orechnik since the invasion's start. Russia first used it on November 21, 2024, against a military-industrial site in Dnipro. President Vladimir Putin described its destructive power as nuclear-like even with conventional warheads. The system deployed to Belarus late December 2025.
The attack followed hours after President Volodymyr Zelensky warned of a potential large-scale Russian strike. The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv issued a security alert earlier on January 8, citing information on a "potentially significant air attack" in coming days.
Earlier that day, Russian forces hit residential buildings in Zelensky's hometown of Kryvyi Rih with two Iskander ballistic missiles, killing a 77-year-old woman and injuring 23 people, including six children. The strike damaged 29 apartment buildings.
The strikes unfolded as Ukraine and Western allies advanced peace negotiations in Paris, with Zelensky stating a framework to end the nearly four-year war stands "90% ready." Despite diplomatic strides, Russia continued targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure amid harsh winter conditions.
