In a dramatic escalation of the nearly four-year war, Russia unleashed a massive overnight barrage on Ukraine involving hundreds of drones, dozens of missiles—and, for only the second time, the nuclear-capable Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile. The attack killed at least four people in Kyiv, wounded dozens, and left parts of the snowy capital without heat or water. The rare deployment of the Oreshnik, which struck western Ukraine near NATO borders, has been widely interpreted as a direct warning to Kyiv's Western allies at a sensitive moment in diplomatic efforts.
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A Night of Intense Bombardment
Ukrainian officials reported that the assault began late Thursday and continued into Friday morning, January 10, 2026. In Kyiv, apartment buildings were hit, emergency responders came under fire, and critical infrastructure was damaged. Four people lost their lives, including a medical worker, while at least 25 others were injured, some of them doctors and a police officer rushing to help.
With temperatures hovering around -8°C (17.6°F), nearly 6,000 buildings in the capital—roughly half the city's residential stock—were left without heating. Water supplies were also disrupted. Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed that municipal teams prioritized restoring power to hospitals and maternity wards using portable units.
Residents described scenes of chaos and resilience. One Kyiv man, Dmytro Karpenko, recounted rushing to aid a burning neighbor's home after his own windows shattered: “What Russia is doing shows they do not want peace. But people really want peace—people are suffering, people are dying.”
The Oreshnik Missile: A Powerful Signal
Ukraine's Security Service confirmed debris from the Oreshnik in the Lviv region, close to the Polish border—a key route for Western military aid. The missile was launched from Russia's Kapustin Yar test range and, according to investigators, targeted civilian infrastructure.
Russian military bloggers and media claimed the strike hit an underground natural gas storage facility. Moscow framed the entire attack, including the Oreshnik, as retaliation for an alleged Ukrainian drone strike on one of President Putin's residences last month—a claim rejected by both Kyiv and Washington.
President Vladimir Putin has previously described the Oreshnik as traveling at Mach 10 (“like a meteorite”) and immune to existing defenses. Ukrainian intelligence reports it carries six warheads, each with six submunitions. This was only its second combat use, following the November 2024 strike on Dnipro.
Latest update: As of January 10, 2026, Reuters reports that European leaders condemned the strike as an attempt to intimidate NATO allies, with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stating the Oreshnik launch was “meant as a warning to Europe and to the U.S.” (Reuters source).
International Reactions and Diplomatic Context
The timing appears deliberate. The attack followed reports of progress in talks on postwar security guarantees for Ukraine, as well as renewed U.S. pressure on Moscow through potential sanctions under President Donald Trump.
European leaders from Britain, France, and Germany jointly called the strike “escalatory and unacceptable.” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha announced plans for urgent meetings at the UN Security Council and Ukraine-NATO Council. Pope Leo XIV urged an immediate ceasefire and renewed dialogue for peace.
In Lviv, residents remained defiant. American resident Kristofer Chokhovich said: “I heard a loud, shocking explosion… I just want everyone in the world to know that Ukraine is strong and we don’t care how many missiles you send.” Another local, Ulyana Fedun, called the attack “very unpleasant” but added: “We’ve been living in this state for four years.”
Primary source: Breitbart News – January 10, 2026
Additional reporting from Associated Press, Reuters, and CNN.
This article is based on verified facts from multiple international sources and presents claims from all sides without endorsement.
Original article: Russia's Oreshnik Hypersonic Strike Hits Ukraine Again on Planet Today 🚀
Automatically republished from the main blog.