In the latest escalation of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Moscow launched a massive overnight barrage on January 8, 2026, deploying the rarely used Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile against targets deep within Ukrainian territory. The strike, which killed at least four people and injured 25 others in Kyiv, marked only the second known use of the Oreshnik missile, an experimental weapon with the potential to reshape the security landscape of Europe. The attack also targeted infrastructure in the western city of Lviv, perilously close to the border with Poland and the European Union.
According to BBC, the Oreshnik missile, first fired at the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro in November 2024, is capable of reaching distances up to 5,500 kilometers and is designed to fragment in its final descent, sending multiple independently targeted inert projectiles to create a series of devastating explosions. Ukrainian authorities confirmed that this advanced missile struck infrastructure in Lviv, approximately 60 kilometers from the Polish border, raising alarm bells across NATO and the EU.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed the strike was retaliation for a Ukrainian drone attack on President Vladimir Putin's residence in late December 2025—a claim Kyiv has flatly denied. The United States has also dismissed the Russian justification, with the EU casting serious doubt on the existence of such an attack. As reported by Reuters, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas described Russia’s use of the Oreshnik missile as a warning to both Europe and the United States, stating, "Putin doesn't want peace, Russia's reply to diplomacy is more missiles and destruction. This deadly pattern of recurring major Russian strikes will repeat itself until we help Ukraine break it."
The overnight barrage was not limited to the Oreshnik missile. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that a total of 13 ballistic missiles, 22 cruise missiles, and 242 drones targeted energy facilities and civilian infrastructure across the country. In Kyiv, two apartment buildings and a high-rise in the city center were hit, and a building at the Qatari embassy sustained damage, though no embassy staff were injured. The Qatari Foreign Ministry expressed "deep regret over the damage sustained by its embassy building in Ukraine as a result of the strikes on the capital, Kyiv, last night. It also confirms that none of its diplomats or embassy staff were harmed."
One of the most tragic incidents occurred when a paramedic, responding to an initial strike on an apartment building, was killed in what officials described as a "double-tap" attack—a tactic in which a second strike targets first responders arriving to help the injured. Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko confirmed the death and urged residents who could leave the city to do so, as nearly half of Kyiv’s apartment buildings—about 6,000—were left without heat amid a harsh winter cold spell, with temperatures expected to plummet to -15°C (5°F) over the weekend. "Half of Kyiv's apartment buildings—nearly 6,000—are currently without heat due to damage to the capital's critical infrastructure caused by a massive enemy attack," Klitschko wrote on social media.
The attacks left large swathes of Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities without electricity, water, or heating. As reported by DW News, Zelensky accused Russia of weaponizing the cold and attempting to "completely shut down cities" by targeting energy infrastructure. "The Russians are exploiting the weather—the cold spell—and trying to hit as many of our energy facilities as possible," Zelensky said in his evening address. He called for urgent international action, stating, "A clear reaction from the world is needed. Above all from the United States, whose signals Russia truly pays attention to. Russia must receive signals that it is its obligation to focus on diplomacy, and must feel consequences every time it again focuses on killings and the destruction of infrastructure."
Ukraine’s SBU security service released photographs of missile fragments believed to be from the Oreshnik missile used in the Lviv strike, including the stabilization and guidance unit, engine parts, and nozzles. The SBU stated, "By attacking civilian targets in our country near the border with the European Union, the Kremlin attempted to destroy the region's life-support infrastructure amid sharply deteriorating weather conditions." Ukrainian officials suggested the missile carried an inert "dummy" warhead, leaving craters near a state enterprise close to Lviv, but the psychological impact was clear: Russia had demonstrated its willingness to use its longest-range weapon so close to EU and NATO territory.
The German government strongly condemned Russia’s actions, with spokesman Steffen Meyer saying, "Russia is continuing to escalate the situation without provocation." He described the missile strike as a "symbolic gesture of intimidation intended to instill fear, but they are not effective." Germany joined Ukraine in calling for a robust international response, while Ukraine requested emergency meetings of the UN Security Council, NATO, and European institutions. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described the Oreshnik strike as "a grave threat to European security and a test for the transatlantic community," urging a global response to what he called "a global threat that demands global responses."
The reverberations of the attack were felt beyond Ukraine’s borders. On the same night, Ukrainian retaliatory shelling caused a blackout in Russia’s Belgorod region, affecting more than 500,000 people and leaving around 200,000 without water or sewage services. The governor of Belgorod, Vyacheslav Gladkov, described the situation as "very difficult," with repair crews struggling to restore critical services. Additionally, a Ukrainian strike on a Russian power plant in Oryol disrupted water and heating systems, illustrating the escalating tit-for-tat attacks on energy infrastructure on both sides of the border.
As the conflict grinds on, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is seeking a limited ceasefire near the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to allow urgent repairs to a damaged power line. The plant, Europe’s largest, remains shut down but still requires constant cooling, and IAEA observers have noted increased fighting in its vicinity. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi emphasized the need for a pause in hostilities within a 10-kilometer radius so Ukrainian technicians can safely carry out repairs.
In the diplomatic arena, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called for the European Union to reopen dialogue with Russia and appoint a special envoy, arguing, "It is time that Europe talks to Russia." Meloni, a steadfast supporter of Ukraine, stressed that Europe’s influence would remain limited if it only engaged with one side of the conflict. Her remarks came as the EU has largely frozen contacts with Moscow since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, leaving the United States to lead most negotiation efforts.
With the Oreshnik missile’s latest deployment, Russia has signaled a readiness to escalate both the scale and technological sophistication of its attacks, pushing the war’s front line ever closer to NATO’s doorstep. As Ukrainian cities struggle to recover from the latest wave of destruction and millions brace for freezing temperatures without heat or electricity, the international community faces mounting pressure to respond decisively—and prevent the conflict from spiraling even further.
