Russia claims Oreshnik missile hit Ukrainian aviation plant

by AFP Staff Writers
Moscow (AFP) Jan 12, 2026
Russia on Monday claimed to have hit an aviation repair plant in Ukraine's western Lviv region last week with its Oreshnik ballistic missile, the first time either country has named the strike's alleged target.

Moscow said it fired the Oreshnik in response to its allegations that Ukraine attempted to hit one of President Vladimir Putin's residences in a drone strike, something Kyiv denied and the United States said it doubts happened.

It was the second time the weapon -- which can carry both conventional and nuclear warheads -- is known to have been used in combat.

"On the night of January 9th, the Lviv state aircraft repair plant was put out of action by the Oreshnik mobile ground-based missile system," the Russian defence ministry said in a statement.

AFP is unable to verify the claim.

Ukraine has confirmed the missile was fired on the Lviv region, which is close to the EU border, and published images of what it said were fragments of the missile.

It said a "civilian target" was hit, but did not elaborate on the exact location or the extent of any damage.

Asked about Russia's claim on Monday, Ukrainian air force spokesman Yuriy Ignat told AFP: "We never comment on where the hit was."

Residents of Rudno, on the outskirts of Lviv and near the aviation plant, told AFP last Friday that they heard explosions at night, and some reported gas outages.

Russia said Ukraine used the plant to repair and service its Soviet-designed MiG-29 aircraft and the US-made F-16 jets supplied by the West.

Putin has claimed that Oreshnik, an intermediate-range missile that can reach targets between 3,000 and 5,500 kilometres (1,860-3,400 miles) away, is "impossible" to intercept by modern air defences.

US slams Russia's use of nuclear-capable missile in Ukraine
United Nations, United States (AFP) Jan 12, 2026 - The United States on Monday decried Russia's use of a nuclear-capable Oreshnik ballistic missile in Ukraine, calling it an "inexplicable escalation" during an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.

Russia's use Friday of the intermediate-range missile, which was not carrying a nuclear warhead, "constitutes another dangerous and inexplicable escalation of this war, even as the United States is urgently working with Kyiv, other partners and Moscow to end the war through a negotiated settlement," US Deputy UN Ambassador Tammy Bruce said.

"We condemn Russia's continuing and intensifying attacks on Ukraine's energy facilities and other civilian infrastructure," Bruce continued.

Moscow on Monday said the missile hit an aviation repair factory in the Lviv region, in western Ukraine, and that it was fired in response to Ukraine's attempt to strike one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's residences - a claim which Kyiv denies.

Ukraine confirmed the missile was fired on the Lviv region, close to the border with Poland, but did not say whether the plant was struck.

Acting British ambassador James Kariuki called the attack "reckless," adding that "it threatens regional and international security and carries significant risk of escalation and miscalculation."

In addition to deploying the Oreshnik missile on Friday, Russia pummeled the capital Kyiv with air strikes, killing at least four people and leaving half the city's residential buildings without heating during below freezing winter temperatures.