ALWAGHT- Russian forces carried out an overnight "massive strike" on Ukrainian military targets, employing the intermediate-range hypersonic Oreshnik system, Iskander ballistic missiles, Kinzhal and Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles, various air-, sea-, and ground-launched cruise missiles, and attack drones.
In response to a deadly Ukrainian drone strike on a college dormitory in the Lugansk People's Republic that killed 21 people, mostly teenage girls, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the Defense Ministry to prepare retaliatory measures. Russian forces subsequently launched a massive overnight strike using a range of advanced weaponry—including the Oreshnik hypersonic system, Iskander missiles, Kinzhal and Zircon missiles, cruise missiles, and drones—targeting Ukrainian military command centers, air bases, and defense industry facilities. The Russian Defense Ministry stated that all objectives were achieved and all designated targets hit.
The Ukrainian drone attack on Friday struck the Starobelsk College dormitory while students were sleeping, an act Putin labeled a deliberate "terrorist act," prompting local authorities to declare days of mourning. Moscow first publicly deployed the Oreshnik missile in November 2024, with subsequent uses in January, and the US Embassy in Kiev had warned of a potential significant air attack within 24 hours prior to the Russian retaliation.
