Russia is believed to have struck Ukraine with the Oreshnik, a type of nuclear-capable ballistic missile for which Kyiv currently has no air defence capabilities. Here’s what we know of the latest attack
Ukraine’s air force reported a threat of a potential ballistic missile launch from a Russian strategic nuclear testing site shortly before midnight on Thursday (January 8), according to The New York Times and other media outlets, triggering speculation that it could be an intermediate-range Oreshnik missile.
Explosions followed soon after near the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, but the country did not say whether a nuclear-capable missile from that testing site was responsible. If confirmed, the use of such a weapon — though armed with conventional or dummy warheads — would be an ominous threat to Ukraine and its Western allies and an escalation by President Vladimir Putin of Russia.
Explosions followed soon after near the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, but the country did not say whether a nuclear-capable missile from that testing site was responsible. If confirmed, the use of such a weapon — though armed with conventional or dummy warheads — would be an ominous threat to Ukraine and its Western allies and an escalation by President Vladimir Putin of Russia.