Putin can retaliate with the terror weapon: “At any time”
The terror weapon “Oreshnik” can strike “at any time” within 24 hours, wrote American intelligence.
“Please, take care and take shelter tonight,” Zelensky wrote to his citizens.
Now the air raid sirens are sounding in Kiev.
Ukraine’s drone attack in the Russian-controlled Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine took place on Friday night. After that, the death toll has risen to 18, many of whom were young women, Russian authorities said on Saturday, according to Reuters.
What has made Putin furious is that he believes the attack was against a university that trains teachers, in the city of Starobilsk. A 19-year-old named Diana Shovkun was shown on Russian state television and was said to be one of the injured students.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military claims that the target was the headquarters of Russia's elite Rubicon force, which Ukraine says regularly attacks civilians and civilian infrastructure in the country with drones.
Now the US embassy in Kiev is warning of "a potentially significant air strike that could occur at any time in the next 24 hours." They are urging American citizens across the country to immediately seek shelter if the air raid alert is triggered.
The Oreshnik missile
The information about an incoming retaliatory strike is confirmed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. On X he writes that Ukraine sees signs of preparations for an attack on Ukrainian territory, including the capital Kiev.
“Our intelligence services reported receiving information, including from American and European partners, that Russia is preparing an attack with the Oreshnik missile. We confirm this information.”
The weapon Ukraine fears Russia will attack with is the Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile system.
The terrifying weapon
The Oreshnik missile system, which has the capacity to use nuclear weapons, was first used in connection with an attack on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro in November 2024. It has previously been reported that the speed and maneuverability of the weapon system make it difficult to shoot down.
Zelensky writes that air defenses are being prepared “as much as possible” but urges people across the country to protect themselves.
“It is important to act responsibly when receiving airstrikes, starting tonight. Russian madness truly knows no bounds, so protect your lives – use shelters.”
Earlier this year, Russia released images of the terrifying weapon, as it was taken across the border to a military base in Belarus. From there, it can reach targets in the West faster than Russia has ever been able to before.
Russia has used the weapon in attacks on Ukraine twice before in the war. The first time was in November 2024 when it fired at a seemingly abandoned factory and the most recent on January 9, according to CNN.
The missiles travel through the air at high speed, around 13,000 kilometers per hour. They shoot steeply upwards and out of the atmosphere, and then steeply downwards towards their target. This makes it almost impossible for Ukraine’s air defense systems to stop, according to CNN.
Zelensky: Will not be able to stop others
Zelensky urges the world to try to persuade Russia not to use the system.
“If Russia is allowed to destroy lives on this scale, no agreements will be able to restrain other similar hate-driven regimes from aggression and attacks,” he writes on X.
During the war, Ukraine has repeatedly accused Russia of attacks on civilians. Last week, 24 people were reportedly killed in nighttime attacks on Kiev. “Among the dead is a 12-year-old girl and girls aged 15 and 17,” wrote the capital’s mayor Vitaliy Klychko on Telegram.
Explosions in Kiev
At 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, the air raid siren sounded over Kiev, reports Ukrainian public service company Suspilne.
– Russia is attacking with drones, says the head of the Ukrainian Air Defense Forces, Tymur Tkachenko.
Explosions are reported in Kiev as Russian drones attack the capital, the head of the city's military administration said on Telegram, according to Kyiv Independent.
Suspilne also wrote on Telegram that an explosion was heard in the Odessa district.
At 9 p.m., the Ukrainian military wrote on Telegram that several drone attacks were coming in on different parts of the country.
Several drones were reportedly fired at Kharkiv, Kiev, Dnipro and Donetsk, among others.
By 10:30 p.m., several civilians had been injured in Odessa and Kharkiv after the drone attacks, Kyiv Independent wrote on Telegram.
Det som gjort Putin rasande är att han menar att attacken skett mot ett universitet som utbildar lärare, i staden Starobilsk. En 19-åring vid namn Diana Sjovkun visades upp i rysk statlig tv och uppgavs vara en av de skadade studenterna.
Samtidigt hävdar ukrainsk militär att målet var högkvarteret för Rysslands elitstyrka Rubicon, som enligt Ukraina regelbundet attackerar civila och civil infrastruktur i landet med drönare.
Nu varnar USA:s ambassad i Kiev för ”en potentiellt betydande luftattack som kan inträffa när som helst under de kommande 24 timmarna.” De uppmanar amerikanska medborgare i hela landet omedelbart söka skydd om flyglarmet utlöses.
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