Russia strikes Ukraine with Oreshnik in response to an alleged attempt to target Putin’s residence: what is the Oreshnik missile?

9th January 2026

2 minutes read

Russia strikes Ukraine with Oreshnik in response to an alleged attempt to target Putin’s residence: what is the Oreshnik missile?

Moscow has announced a new missile strike against Ukraine using the “Oreshnik” missile, one of the latest additions to Russia’s military arsenal.

The Oreshnik missile is classified among weapons designed to carry out highly precise strikes with a strong deterrent effect, as part of Moscow’s efforts to enhance its long-range offensive capabilities.

This development comes just hours after Russia confirmed that European forces expected to be deployed in Ukraine as part of any future peace agreement would be considered “legitimate targets”, and following the seizure on Wednesday by the United States of an oil tanker flying the Russian flag.

What happened?

The Russian military said on Friday that it had launched a hypersonic Oreshnik missile at a target in Ukraine, as part of what it described as a large-scale overnight strike targeting energy infrastructure and drone manufacturing facilities.

In a statement, the Russian Ministry of Defence said the strike was carried out in response to an alleged Ukrainian attempt to launch a drone attack on one of President Vladimir Putin’s residences at the end of December.

Kyiv, however, dismissed Russia’s claim that Ukraine had attempted to attack a residence belonging to Putin in Russia’s Novgorod region, describing it as a “lie”.

What is the “Oreshnik” missile?

The Oreshnik missile, whose name means “hazel tree” in Russian, is one of Russia’s most recent weapons. It can reach speeds of up to ten times the speed of sound and is capable of striking targets across Europe, according to previous statements by the commander of Russia’s missile forces.

The missile can carry multiple warheads, either conventional or nuclear. Moscow first used it in November 2024, when it struck the Ukrainian city of Dnipro, although the weapon had not yet been fully developed at that time.

Ukraine’s first response

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on Friday that Russia’s overnight strike using the Oreshnik missile near the borders of the European Union and NATO constituted a “serious threat” to European security, urging partners to increase pressure on Moscow.

Sybiha stated that Kyiv had informed the United States, European partners and other countries of the details of the strike through diplomatic channels.

He added: “Putin is using an intermediate-range ballistic missile near the borders of the European Union and NATO. This is truly a global threat and requires global responses.”