Russia Fires Nuclear-Capable Oreshnik Missile into Western Ukraine Near Poland

On Jan. 9, 2026, Russia fired a nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile into western Ukraine, striking a military site about 40 miles from the Polish border, officials and analysts said.

The hypersonic intermediate-range weapon, which Moscow has hailed as capable of exceeding Mach 10, landed with little damage — leaving a couple of craters — and released kinetic sub-munitions rather than explosives, Ukrainian officials and a Ukrainian parliamentarian said. Kyiv assessed that the warheads held no explosives; Col. Roman Kostenko noted the metal fragments could still cause harm. The Oreshnik can carry conventional, dummy or nuclear warheads, and analysts said the launch underscored a reach that covers much of Europe.

Analysts and pro-Kremlin commentators framed the strike as a warning to Europe after leaders in Paris agreed on postwar security guarantees; Sergei Markov said the Oreshnik was "not a weapon of war against Ukraine; it is a weapon of war against Europe," and Dmitri Medvedev cheered the launch. The Russian Defense Ministry called the strike a response to an alleged attack on a presidential residence, a claim Ukrainian officials said was fabricated. European and Ukrainian officials called the use of the missile an escalation, while experts including Jeffrey Lewis said the launch appeared aimed more at political intimidation than military effect.

Key Topics

World, Oreshnik Missile, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Hypersonic Missile