Russian hypersonic missiles hit Ukrainian capital

Russia attacks Kiev with missiles in retaliation; Putin defies US and Zelensky seeks European support while Trump promises end to war

Russia fulfilled its promise to retaliate for recent American and British missile attacks on its territory, launching a series of attacks against Kiev this Friday (20). At least eight ballistic missiles, including some hypersonic ones, were used. The attack killed at least one person and left the Ukrainian capital on a heightened state of alert.

The day before, Vladimir Putin had challenged the United States to protect Kiev with its anti-aircraft defense systems against the new Orechnik ballistic missile, in a “technological duel”. The Orechnik, designed for nuclear conflicts, was used only once in combat, in November against Dnipro.

Capable of carrying multiple warheads and reaching speeds above 13,000 km/h, it is considered difficult to intercept. However, in this attack, according to Kiev officials, five of the eight missiles were shot down. Among them were the short-range Iskander-M and the hypersonic Kinjal, but the exact proportion of each model was not revealed.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the targets included missile factories and buildings of the SBU, the Ukrainian secret service, which recently carried out a “scooter bomb” attack in Moscow.

Despite this, Russia’s public justification for the attack mentioned the use of American ATACMS and British Storm Shadow missiles against the Rostov region as retaliation.

In addition to causing deaths and injuries, the bombing in Kiev left 630 buildings without electricity and heating, according to Sergii Popko, head of the city’s military administration.

The attack, which took place at 7am (local time), also damaged a historic church and the Portuguese Embassy building, whose government issued a formal protest. In other regions, such as Kherson and Krivii Rih, attacks also occurred, resulting in more deaths and injuries.

Meanwhile, Volodymyr Zelensky in Brussels called Putin’s defiance “insane” and accused the Russian leader of being “just a scoundrel.”

Facing setbacks on the battlefield, including the loss of two more locations in the Donetsk region, Zelensky is seeking European support to send troops to Ukraine.

This measure, according to him, could help freeze the conflict, even if it temporarily cedes the 20% of territory currently occupied by Russia.

Putin, on the other hand, maintains a firm stance in negotiations, demanding not only territorial gains but also Ukraine’s military neutrality. Zelenski even proposed partial membership of NATO, but the military alliance preferred to avoid a direct confrontation with Russia.

With Donald Trump’s inauguration approaching, the political scenario gains another layer of complexity.

The former president, critical of Joe Biden’s authorization of Ukrainian attacks on Russian soil, promised to end the war quickly, although details of his plan have not yet been released.

Meanwhile, European leaders are debating the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine, with France supporting the idea but without consensus within the European Union.