Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Russia has reused the 'Oreshnik' medium-range ballistic missile in the Kyiv region. The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that this attack was in response to Ukraine's attacks on civilian targets, but Kyiv denied this claim. Reactions from Europe were harsh. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz described the attack as a 'reckless escalation' and reiterated Germany's support for Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the attacks on civilian targets and considered the use of the 'Oreshnik' missile a dangerous escalation in the conflict and a sign of a dead end in Russia's war efforts. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the Russian attack showed the Kremlin's disregard for human life and peace negotiations. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas described the attacks as 'disgusting acts of terror' and called the use of the 'Oreshnik' missile a 'reckless nuclear risk-taking.' This missile, used by Russia for the first time in 2024, has a range of 3,000 to 5,500 kilometers and is capable of targeting a large part of Europe. Russia's large-scale attack involved 90 missiles and cruise missiles along with approximately 600 drones. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that many targets were intercepted but some damage occurred in certain areas. The central studio of Germany's public broadcaster ARD also suffered heavy damage in this attack, but there were no casualties.
