Russia fires hypersonic missile at Kyiv again, killing at least 4
Russia hit Kyiv with a hypersonic Oreshnik missile for the third time, killing at least 4 and wounding dozens. Schools, homes, and a water facility were damaged.
Russia unleashed another barrage on Kyiv and surrounding areas on Sunday, this time deploying its Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile for the third time since the weapon entered its arsenal. At least 4 people died in the strikes, with dozens more hurt.
The missile hit Bila Tserkva, a city in the Kyiv region, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He painted a grim picture of the aftermath: a water supply facility destroyed, a marketplace reduced to ash, dozens of homes damaged beyond quick repair, and several schools hit.
Zelenskyy's language was sharp. He called the assault "deranged"—the kind of word you use when conventional descriptions feel hollow. And honestly, the pattern here is worth noting. Russia keeps reaching for this particular weapon, a missile that travels at hypersonic speeds and is designed to slip past air defenses. Using it three times in such a short span suggests Moscow either sees real tactical value or is trying to send a message through sheer intimidation.
The Oreshnik itself is relatively new to Russia's playbook. It's a ballistic missile that can reportedly carry nuclear warheads, though Russia's been using it conventionally so far. The thing about hypersonic weapons is that they're fast enough to outrun most defensive systems—at least that's the theory. Ukraine's air force has managed to intercept some Russian missiles in recent months, but the Oreshnik represents a tougher challenge.
Sunday's attack wasn't just about one missile either. The broader assault involved multiple strikes across Kyiv and its region, hitting civilian infrastructure in the kind of way that disrupts daily life without necessarily being a direct military target. Water supplies, marketplaces, schools—these aren't weapons depots or military command centers. They're the utilities and spaces that keep a city functioning.
For Kyiv, these attacks have become routine enough that warnings go out regularly, but that doesn't make them any less destructive. The death toll and injury count will likely rise as rescue teams work through rubble. And each time Russia rolls out the Oreshnik, it forces Ukraine and its allies to reckon with another layer of threat.
