Russia Uses Hypersonic Missile On Western Ukraine As U.N. Security Council Meets (Worthy News Radio)

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

KYIV/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Russia’s use of a hypersonic missile against western Ukraine has raised alarm across Europe and prompted an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, Ukrainian officials confirmed Sunday.

The strike marked only the second known use of Russia’s Oreshnik hypersonic missile in the nearly four-year-old war and shattered assumptions that western Ukraine remains beyond Moscow’s reach.

The missile struck the historic city of Lviv, long regarded as relatively safe compared to eastern front-line regions. Ukrainian authorities said the weapon is capable of carrying nuclear warheads, though none were used in the attack.

Lviv’s mayor, Andrii Sadovyi, said the strike damaged critical infrastructure but caused no fatalities.

“This is the first time in history that a ballistic missile has hit Lviv,” Sadovyi said, explaining that the weapon can travel at speeds of up to 13,000 kilometers (nearly 8,000 miles) per hour .“Thank God there were no victims, but critical infrastructure was damaged.”

Analysts said the attack appeared designed as a warning to neighboring NATO military alliance countries, including Poland.

Russian state media claimed the Oreshnik missile could reach a Polish air base in about eleven minutes and Brussels, home to NATO headquarters, in roughly seventeen minutes.

EMERGENCY UN MEETING

Ukraine requested the emergency Security Council meeting, accusing Russia of flagrant violations of the U.N. Charter amid what officials described as a sustained escalation in aerial attacks.

Ukrainian authorities said Russia has launched thousands of drones and dozens of missiles since Friday, targeting Kyiv and multiple regions across the country.

Ukraine responded with strikes of its own, including in Russia’s Belgorod region, where local officials reported that some 600,000 residents were left without electricity, heating, or running water.

Casualties were reported on both sides, while millions of civilians face freezing winter temperatures without reliable access to basic services.

Despite intensified fighting, Britain said it has not abandoned hope of a diplomatic breakthrough to end the nearly four-year war. Its Defence Secretary John Healey pledged roughly $270 million to help prepare a multinational force for Ukraine if a ceasefire agreement is reached.

Western officials warn, however, that continued escalation risks drawing the conflict closer to NATO’s borders as winter deepens and humanitarian needs grow.

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