Russia says it used Oreshnik missile in Ukraine attack

Russia used its Oreshnik intermediate-range missile in its attack on western Ukraine, the TASS news agency reported on Friday, citing the Russian Defence Ministry, marking the second strike on Ukraine involving the weapon.

According to the ministry, the attack was carried out in response to a “terrorist attack” by Kiev on the residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin on December 29, 2025.

It added that the strike’s objectives were achieved and that facilities producing unmanned aerial vehicles used in the alleged attack, as well as energy infrastructure, were hit.

Ukraine has denied launching an attack on Putin’s residence and accuses Moscow of using the false claim to justify strikes on government buildings in Kiev.

Russia first fired an Oreshnik missile at Ukraine’s industrial city of Dnipro in November 2024. Putin has claimed that Western air-defence systems are incapable of intercepting the Oreshnik, which means hazel tree in Russian. He has also said it could hit targets as far away as Western Europe.

Western military analysts say that Oreshnik is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.