Russia is preparing an attack with the Oresnik hypersonic missile, Zelenski warns. The Ukrainian leader calls for a “preemptive” response from the West

Russia is preparing an attack on Ukraine with an Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday, citing intelligence from Ukraine, the United States and Europe, according to Reuters. The leader from Kiev asked the Western partners to react before a possible attack occurs. And the US embassy in Kiev said it had received information about a possible large-scale airstrike that could take place in the next 24 hours.

The Ukrainian president's warning comes a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the military to prepare options for retaliation against Ukraine following a drone attack on a student dormitory in the Russian-controlled Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine.

The Ukrainian military has denied responsibility for that attack.

“We see indications of the preparation of a combined attack on Ukrainian territory, including Kiev, with the use of several types of weaponry. It is possible that intermediate-range weapons will also be used in such an attack,” Zelenskiy wrote in a post on X, without mentioning the drone strike.

Russia has already twice used the Oreshnik missile against Ukraine, which President Vladimir Putin has said is impossible to intercept due to its reported speed of more than ten times the speed of sound.

Moscow first fired an Oreshnik missile over Ukraine in November 2024, targeting what it described as a military factory.

At the time, Ukrainian sources claimed the missile was carrying practice warheads, without an explosive charge, and the damage caused was limited.

The second attack took place in January 2026, when the missile hit the Lviv region in western Ukraine.

“We draw the attention of our partners in the United States and Europe that using such weapons and prolonging this war creates a global precedent for other potential aggressors,” Zelenskiy said.

Similar warning sent by the US Embassy in Kyiv

According to a message published on the embassy's website, the American diplomatic mission in Kiev received information regarding the possibility of a significant air strike that could take place at any time in the next 24 hours.

“The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv has received information regarding a possible large-scale airstrike, which could occur at any time in the next 24 hours. As always, the embassy advises U.S. citizens to be prepared to take shelter immediately if an airstrike is issued,” the statement said.

The last similar security alert issued by the US Embassy dates back to January 8.

The leaders of Britain, France and Germany in January described Russia's use of an Oreshnik ballistic missile against a target in western Ukraine as an “escalating and unacceptable” action.

Zelenskiy said Kiev is counting on a reaction from the international community and “a response that is preventive, not one that comes after the fact.”

According to the Ukrainian leader, pressure must be exerted on Moscow to prevent the expansion of the war.

The Kremlin accused Ukraine of committing a “monstrous crime” after Russian officials said a drone attack on a college in the Luhansk region killed at least four people and injured 35 children.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday that those responsible must be brought to justice.

“Enemy drones attacked” the building of the Luhansk Pedagogical University-affiliated Starobelsk Vocational College and its dormitory, said Leonid Pasechnik, the Moscow-installed regional governor in Luhansk.

According to him, 86 teenagers between the ages of 14 and 18 were in these buildings at the time of the strike. “35 people suffered various injuries,” he said, without giving further details.

The General Staff in Kyiv announced on Facebook that it struck during the night from Thursday to Friday a “headquarters” of the “Rubicon” drone unit, located in the area of ​​the city of Starobilsk.

“Ukraine carries out strikes on military infrastructures and installations used for military purposes, scrupulously respecting the norms of international humanitarian law,” states the message of the Ukrainian General Staff published on social networks.