Russia’s reported Oreshnik missile strike on Ukraine has renewed concern over Moscow’s use of a nuclear-capable hypersonic ballistic weapon in the war.
The Associated Press reported that Russia used the Oreshnik during a major overnight assault on Ukraine on May 24, 2026, with the missile striking Bila Tserkva in the Kyiv region. Ukrainian officials said the wider barrage killed at least two people and injured dozens.
The Oreshnik is an intermediate-range ballistic missile that Russia first used against Ukraine in November 2024, according to Reuters-based reporting in the supplied source. Experts say it can carry multiple warheads capable of hitting separate targets.
President Vladimir Putin of Russia has claimed the missile is difficult to intercept and can deliver destructive power even with conventional warheads. Western officials and analysts have described those claims with caution, saying the system remains limited and experimental.
Ukraine previously said an Oreshnik used in a January strike on Lviv flew at about 13,000 kph. A senior Ukrainian official told Reuters that the January missile carried dummy warheads and caused limited damage.
Read: Ukraine Battlefield Gains Raise Pressure on Russia
Security experts said Moscow’s use of the weapon appeared aimed at signalling escalation risk to Ukraine and European members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. Kyiv’s allies have accused Russia of trying to intimidate Western governments away from supporting Ukraine.
Russia has also supplied the Oreshnik system to Belarus, while experts say Moscow likely holds limited stocks and may use the missile sparingly
