Putin Issues Dire Warning After Russia Reports Second Combat Use of Oreshnik Hypersonic Missile

Moscow / Kyiv : Russia said it fired an Oreshnik intermediate-range hypersonic missile (IRBM) at targets in Ukraine overnight, describing the strike as retaliation for an alleged Ukrainian drone attempt on a residence associated with President Vladimir Putin. Kyiv rejected the claim outright, calling it “an absurd lie” intended to undermine already fragile peace efforts.

According to Moscow, this marked the second operational use of the Oreshnik missile, which Russian officials claim travels at speeds exceeding Mach 10 and cannot be intercepted by existing air-defence systems. While the missile is capable of carrying nuclear or conventional warheads, there was no indication that the weapon used in the overnight attack carried anything other than a conventional payload.

Russian Account of the Strike

The Russian Defence Ministry said the operation combined attack drones, high-precision long-range land-based missiles, and sea-launched weapons, targeting what it described as Ukraine’s critical infrastructure. In a statement, the ministry said: “The strike’s targets were hit. The targets included facilities producing unmanned aerial vehicles used in the terrorist attack, as well as energy infrastructure supporting Ukraine’s military-industrial complex.”

Ukraine dismissed the allegation that its drones had attempted to strike a Putin residence in Russia’s Novgorod region in late December. Former U.S. president Donald Trump also said he did not believe such a strike had occurred, suggesting that an unrelated incident may have taken place nearby.

Gas Supply Concerns Emerge in Lviv Region

Following the Oreshnik strike, local Ukrainian media reported that there was “almost no gas” in parts of Lviv Oblast, raising concerns about the impact of the attack on civilian energy supplies. Earlier reports suggested that the missile hit a strategic underground gas storage facility near the city of Stryi.

The facility is located approximately 66 kilometres from Lviv city and about 75 kilometres from the Polish border, underscoring the proximity of the strike to NATO territory. Ukrainian officials have not publicly confirmed the full extent of the damage, but the reports have intensified fears of further disruptions to heating and energy availability during winter conditions.

The governor of the Lviv region earlier acknowledged that Russian attacks had struck an infrastructure site, while Ukraine’s air force later confirmed that Russia had launched an Oreshnik missile from the Kapustin Yar test range near the Caspian Sea.

Questions Over Oreshnik’s Military Impact

Russia first used the Oreshnik missile in November 2024, when it said the weapon struck a Ukrainian military factory. Ukrainian sources later claimed that the missile carried dummy warheads and caused limited damage. Despite Putin’s assertion that the missile’s destructive power rivals that of a nuclear weapon even when armed conventionally, some Western officials remain sceptical. One U.S. official said in December 2024 that the system was not regarded as a battlefield game-changer.

Putin Issues Stark Warning

The strike coincided with a highly symbolic appearance by Vladimir Putin in full combat uniform, during which he issued a stark warning to Kyiv. “If Kyiv refuses peace, Russia will crush all its goals in the Special Military Operation through pure military force,” he said.

Kyiv argues that missile strikes on energy infrastructure and escalating rhetoric contradict Moscow’s stated interest in negotiations. As claims and counterclaims continue, the reported gas shortages in western Ukraine highlight the potential civilian consequences of Russia’s expanding use of advanced missile systems in the conflict.