UKRAINE has condemned Vladimir Putin’s nuclear-capable missile strike as a “war crime,” with Volodymyr Zelensky urging Donald Trump to provide a “clear reaction” to this barbaric attack.

Russia launched the strike on Thursday night, with terrifying footage showing the hypersonic weapon illuminating the night sky.

Oreshnik strikes LvivPutin launched a horrifying nuke-capable Oreshnik missile on UkraineCredit: East2West Coalition of the Willing Summit in ParisUkraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky called on the US to condemn the attackCredit: Reuters Illustration of the four stages of the Russia's Oreshnik ballistic missile separation and warhead deployment.

Zelensky stated: “A clear reaction from the world is necessary.

“Above all from the United States, whose signals Russia truly pays attention to.”

The embattled wartime leader emphasized: “Russia must receive signals that it is obligated to focus on diplomacy and must face consequences every time it opts for killings and the destruction of infrastructure.”

Downing Street reported that France, Germany, and the UK collectively condemned the strikes, labeling them “escalatory and unacceptable.”

“It was evident that Russia was using fabricated claims to justify the attack,” Sir Keir Starmer informed his French and German counterparts, according to No 10.

The SBU, Ukraine’s intelligence service, reported recovering fragments of the terrifying missile, which they referred to as the “brains” of the weapon.

They also announced they were treating the blitz—which marks the second time in history that Russia has employed the Oreshnik—as a “war crime.”

Kyiv stated they had retrieved parts of the bomb that will be classified as evidence and utilized as intelligence regarding the advanced Oreshnik missile.

Putin’s latest brutal strike also targeted civilian infrastructure rather than military units, according to local investigators.

Authorities have initiated a war crimes case under Article 438 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code, which pertains to violations of the laws and customs of war.

The horrifying blitz occurred just hours after Russian tyrant Putin called for an end to the war.

At least four people were killed and 25 injured in Kyiv following overnight strikes across the country.

The dreaded Oreshnik struck the city of Lviv, located just 40 miles from the border with NATO member Poland in western Ukraine—sparking outrage and panic in Kyiv.

Chilling footage captured the 8000 mph missile illuminating the night sky as it crashed into the ground.

The rocket soared into the edge of space before splitting into multiple warheads that descended into the earth’s atmosphere at breakneck speed.

The hypersonic weapon—previously used by Putin only once—was aimed at Europe’s largest underground gas storage facility in Stryi.

Oreshnik strikes LvivShocking footage showed the moment of the strike in LvivCredit: East2West An infographic detailing Putin's Oreshnik hypersonic missile, showing an image of the missile launching, a picture of Putin, and a bright light from its first use.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stated: “Such a strike near the borders of the EU and NATO poses a serious threat to the security of the European continent and serves as a test for the transatlantic community.”

The Oreshnik, which translates to “hazelnut tree,” was launched from the Astrakhan region, deep within Russia, and took less than 15 minutes to explode over Lviv.

This follows a separate incident in December where, if launched, it would have been capable of reaching London in just eight minutes.

Overall, Moscow launched 242

Eze Chidiebere Paul

Eze Chidiebere Paul

I'm dedicated to creating high-quality content that informs, inspires, and delights. If you have any questions or suggestions, don't hesitate to get in touch. Happy reading!