At least two people were injured during a massive nighttime attack launched by Russia against several regions of Ukraine between the night of January 8 and the early hours of January 9.
The offensive combined missiles and drones and had as its main targets large cities such as Kyiv and Lviv, as well as critical infrastructure, according to Ukrainian authorities.
In the capital, Kyiv, multiple districts were affected by the attack. The authorities reported damage in neighborhoods such as Dniprovskyi and Darnytskyi, while residential buildings in the districts of Pechersk and Desnianskyi suffered direct hits or damage caused by falling debris from intercepted drones.
The first explosions were heard at around 11:45 p.m. local time, when air defense systems began operating against targets in the sky.
Previously, the Ukrainian Air Force had issued alerts over the threat of ballistic missiles and warned about the approach of drones toward the capital. According to the Ukrainian Army, Russia launched at least one missile, not yet officially identified, from the Kapustin Yar testing range, located in Russia's Astrakhan region.
In the west of the country, the city of Lviv was also hit. Mayor Andriy Sadovyi confirmed explosions in the region and stated that the attack targeted critical infrastructure. The head of the Lviv Regional Military Administration, Maksym Kozytskyi, reported that an infrastructure facility was hit, although he did not detail its nature for security reasons.
Ukrainian media reported that Russia might have used an Oreshnik missile, an intermediate-range ballistic system capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. If confirmed, it would be one of the most serious attacks in that region since the beginning of the war. The impact point would have been located about 70 kilometers (about 43.5 miles) from the border with Poland, which caused particular concern due to its proximity to NATO territory.
