Russia confirmed on Sunday to have launched a nuclear-capable Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile at Ukraine in massive overnight strikes.
“In response to Ukraine’s terrorist attacks on civilian infrastructure on Russian territory, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carried out a massive strike using Oreshnik ballistic missiles, Iskander air-launched ballistic missiles, Kinzhal hypersonic air-launched ballistic missiles and Tsirkon cruise missiles,” as well as drones, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.
Ukrainian authorities previously reported that the large-scale Russian attack early Sunday morning resulted in four deaths.
Meanwhile, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Russia was seeking to “terrorize Ukraine” with its latest massive bombardment, including the use of the nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile.
“Russia hit a dead-end on the battlefield, so it terrorizes Ukraine with deliberate strikes on city centers,” Kallas wrote on X.
“Moscow reportedly using Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missiles — systems designed to carry nuclear warheads — is a political scare-tactic and reckless nuclear-brinkmanship,” she added.
Similarly, French President Emmanuel Macron condemned Russia’s strikes on “civilian targets” and its reported use of a nuclear-capable Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile in massive overnight attacks on Ukraine.
“Russian strikes against civilian targets in Ukraine continue… France condemns this attack and the use of the Oreshnik ballistic missile,” Macron wrote on X, saying they signalled “the dead end of Russia’s war of aggression”. AFP
