Russia fires hypersonic missile near Polish border
Russia launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile known as the Orechnik into Ukraine's western Lviv region early Friday, striking just under 65 kilometers from the Polish border. European leaders described the hypersonic strike as a perilous escalation designed to intimidate the West. Traveling at speeds exceeding 13,000 kilometers per hour, the weapon targeted critical infrastructure close to the European Union frontier amid a massive overnight assault that included 242 drones and 36 missiles.
The barrage killed at least four people in Kyiv and left more than 600,000 households without power during freezing temperatures. Moscow claimed the Orechnik launch retaliated for an alleged Ukrainian drone attack on President Vladimir Putin's residence in December, a charge denied by both Ukraine and the United States. U.S. intelligence assessed that no such incident occurred, with President Donald Trump stating he did not believe it took place.
European officials swiftly condemned the action and urged a global response. EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas labeled it a blatant escalation against Ukraine and a warning to Europe and the U.S., pushing for bolstered air defenses and tougher sanctions. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz jointly called it unacceptable during a coordinated phone call.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha warned that the strike near EU and NATO borders posed a severe threat to continental security, prompting an emergency UN Security Council meeting. The attack followed a recent Paris summit of the Coalition of the Willing, where the U.S. pledged to lead ceasefire monitoring, and Britain and France committed to establishing military bases in Ukraine post any peace deal. Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff affirmed strong U.S. backing for Ukraine's security protocols.
This marked only the second use of the nuclear-capable Orechnik since its debut in November 2024 against a central Ukrainian facility. Its proximity to NATO territory underscored Moscow's reach across Europe. Merz stressed that Europe must raise the war's cost to force Russia to the negotiating table, while President Volodymyr Zelensky demanded decisive international action.
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