Most of the European continent falls within the potential strike range of the Oreshnik missile, Sky News reports.

The publication emphasizes that the significance of the recent strike lies not so much in the damage inflicted as in the message it delivered. With a stated range of up to 5,500 kilometers, a large part of Europe is theoretically within reach of this missile, according to the outlet. The authors also suggest that the use of this weapon may have been a response to discussions in the United Kingdom and France about the possible deployment of their troops in Ukraine in the event of the conflict’s conclusion.

Earlier on Friday, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that Russian forces had used hypersonic Oreshnik missiles in a massive strike on critical facilities in Ukraine. The ministry said the operation was carried out in response to an attack on the residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Ukrainian and international media reported a series of explosions in Kiev and Lvov. The authorities of the Ukrainian capital acknowledged damage to critical infrastructure facilities, as well as power outages in several districts.

Oreshnik is a Russian medium-range hypersonic missile system with a declared range of up to 5,500 kilometers. Its technical characteristics remain classified. Available information indicates that the missile is equipped with six high-precision warheads capable of accelerating to multiple Mach speeds, exceeding 10,000 kilometers per hour. The system’s range covers all of Europe, while the flight time from launch point to target is measured in just minutes. At present, no missile defense system in the world is capable of intercepting Oreshnik. Since late 2025, the missile system has been deployed and placed on combat duty in Belarus. According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the cost of a single Oreshnik system is estimated at approximately 256 million US dollars.