Russia’s President Threatens Targeting of Kyiv Amid Ongoing Attacks on Ukraine
In the wake of a late-night missile and drone assault on Ukraine’s vital energy infrastructure, Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced that Kyiv’s government buildings may soon be in the crosshairs of a new hypersonic missile, capable of reaching targets in the U.S. as well.
So far, attacks in the Ukrainian capital have avoided "decision-making centers," thanks to heavy air defense systems. However, Putin claims that his newly tested Oreshnik hypersonic missile is designed to evade interception.
The missile was launched at the city of Dnipro on November 21, hitting a facility for weapons production. This attack was seen as retaliation for Ukraine’s strikes two days prior on a Russian military site in Bryansk, which utilized U.S.-made long-range ATACMS missiles, following President Biden’s approval.
Russia has disclosed that Ukraine continued its offensive by firing more ATACMS at its Kursk region on November 23 and 25. Putin stated at a security meeting in Kazakhstan that Russia would respond to the strikes with long-range attacks and mentioned that his military was currently identifying potential targets in Ukraine, including military sites and government facilities in Kyiv.
The Oreshnik missile shares technology with the Rubezh intermediate-range ballistic missile, capable of striking targets between 310 and 3,100 miles away. With such a range, it could hit much of Europe and parts of the U.S. within minutes of launch.
Putin also claimed that Russia’s missile production capabilities far exceed that of NATO, and he expressed intentions to increase output further. These developments indicate that the ongoing conflict, now surpassing 1,000 days, shows no signs of ending soon.
Recently, Russia launched a major drone and missile attack that left over a million households in western, southern, and central Ukraine without power. This operation involved nearly 200 missiles and drones, with explosions reported across various cities, including Kyiv and Kharkiv.
Putin justified the latest attack as a response to Ukrainian assaults on Russian territories using American missiles, raising concerns that Russia aims to disrupt Ukraine’s energy infrastructure as winter approaches. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the assault as a "vile escalation," noting the use of Kalibr missiles that targeted civilian areas.
The president emphasized the challenges posed by these attacks, which complicate rescue and repair efforts in the affected areas, urging Western allies to expedite the delivery of promised air defense systems, voicing dissatisfaction with the slow pace of military support.
On another note, the missile attack coincided with President-elect Trump’s nomination of retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg for a new position aimed at addressing the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Kellogg has previously advocated for strategies that leverage military aid to pursue peace negotiations.
