Four people were killed and 25 others injured as Russia used its hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile as part of a massive attck on Ukraine overnight Friday. Loud booms could be heard for several hours in Kyiv after one of the largest Russian barrages onthe Ukrainian capiptal involving dozens of drones and missiles. Moscow used its Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic (IRBM) missile to target critical infrastructure in Lviv in western Ukraine, Mayor Andriy Sadovyi said. Oreshnik, which in Russian means "hazelnut tree", is one of Russia's newest weapons. According to the Western Command of Ukraine's Air Force, the Oreshnik that targeted the western Ukrainian city travelled at a speed of 13,000 kilometers per hour. Russia has previously confirmed that it used Oreshnik missiles to attack Ukraine. The Kremlin stated that the IRBM attack was "a response" to Ukraine's purported attempt to hit Russian President Vladimir Putin's residence last month – a claim that both Ukraine and the US denied. Four people were killed and 19 were injured in Kyiv during the massive missile and drone attack by Russia. A paramedic was among those killed as a result of a double-tap strike, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. "One paramedic died, and four were injured while assisting people in the Darnytskyi district," he said. Several neighborhoods in the city were affected, while residential buildings sustained damage from the attack, Kyiv City Military Administration head Tymur Tkachenko said. In Desnyanskyi district, a drone crashed onto the roof of a multi-story building. The first two floors of a residential building in the same district were also damaged in the attack. In Dnipro district, drone parts damaged a multi-story building and a fire broke out. Running water and electricity were disrupted in parts of the capital as a result of the attack, Klitschko added. Moscow launched a total of 36 missiles and 242 drones of various types, including 8 Iskander ballistic missiles and 10 Kalibr cruise missiles. Ukraine's air force had earlier warned of a ballistic missile threat and reported that drones were heading towards the capital. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had also alerted the nation regarding Russian attempts at a large-scale offensive on Thursday evening. He said that Russia aimed to take advantage of the frigid weather in the capital which has led to roads being icy and slippery, and called on people to seek protection in bomb shelters during raid alerts. Moscow launched its attack amid the US-led efforts to put an end to Moscow's all-out war against Ukraine. Zelensky said that although Russia's primary target was Ukraine's civil infrastructure and energy facilities, the Qatari embassy building was also damaged by a Russian drone last night. "Qatar is a country that is doing so much to mediate with Russia to free prisoners of war and civilians held in Russian prisons," the Ukrainian president said. Zelensky further called for "a clear response from the world," first and foremost from the US. "Russia must receive signals that it is its duty to focus on diplomacy and feel the consequences every time it focuses on killings and destruction of infrastructure," he stated. He also said that the latest Russian strike serves as a "loud reminder" to all Kyiv's partners that "support for Ukraine's air defence is a constant priority". "We cannot afford to lose a single day in supply, production or negotiations." Earlier, Ukraine's foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said Ukraine is initiating urgent meetings of the UN Security Council, the Ukraine-NATO Council, as well as responses within the EU, the Council of Europe, and the OSCE. "Such a strike close to EU and NATO border is a grave threat to the security on the European continent and a test for the transatlantic community." On Thursday, Moscow rejected the conclusions of a meeting in Paris of the Coalition of the Willing regarding security guarantees for Ukraine and threatened the European countries that are willing to deploy their forces in Ukraine after the ceasefire and a peace agreement. Russia's foreign ministry called the European peacekeeping forces a "legitimate target" for Russia. — Agencies
