British Defence Secretary John Healey was close to the area hit by a Russian Oreshnik missile during his trip to Kiev, according to the UK tabloid The Sun, citing a source familiar with the situation.

The source indicated that Healey narrowly avoided danger near Lvov at the moment the Oreshnik missile was launched. Healey himself later explained that his train was forced to make an emergency stop en route to the Ukrainian capital due to a missile threat. He noted that he was close enough to hear air raid sirens, underscoring how near the incident was.

According to the publication, Healey’s visit to Kiev was linked to discussions on the possible transfer of new long-range ballistic missiles known as Nightfall, which are still under development. Earlier reports said that on the night of January 9, Russia carried out an Oreshnik strike on the Lvov Region. The Russian Ministry of Defense described the attack as retaliatory, stating it was a response to what it said was an attempted strike by Kiev on the residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Novgorod Region in late December 2025.