Air Force on explosions in Lviv Oblast: launches likely from Kapustin Yar, site of Oreshnik ballistic missile launch

Russia may have launched a strike on Lviv Oblast from the Kapustin Yar testing range in Russia's Astrakhan Oblast, where, according to early reports, the Oreshnik missile system is based.

Source: Colonel Yurii Ihnat, Head of the Communications Department of Ukraine's Air Force Command, in a comment to Ukrainska Pravda

Quote: "Launches likely took place from Kapustin Yar. Early reports indicated that explosions had been heard in Lviv Oblast. The information is being confirmed."

Details: The Air Force warned of a threat of the use of ballistic weapons across the entire country at 23:35.

Explosions were reported in Lviv after an air-raid warning was issued. It later emerged that a critical infrastructure facility in the oblast had been hit.

Monitoring channels suggested that Russia may have used a medium-range ballistic missile without a warhead.

Previously: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned in his address on 8 January of a possible large-scale Russian strike on Ukraine on the night of 8-9 January.

Background:

• Ukraine's Air Force noted that Russia used an intercontinental ballistic missile during a missile attack on the city of Dnipro on 21 November. Ukrainska Pravda sources reported that it might have been a Rubezh missile, a potential carrier of nuclear warheads.
• In an address on 21 November, Russian leader Vladimir Putin indirectly confirmed reports, which indicated that during the 21 November attack on Dnipro, Russia used a medium-range missile dubbed Oreshnik by Putin.
• The United States officially confirmed that Russia had struck Dnipro with a ballistic missile based on the RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile.
• On 22 November, Defence Intelligence of Ukraine stated that Russia had launched a ballistic missile, likely from the Kedr missile system, against Ukraine.
• Kyrylo Budanov, former head of Ukraine's Defence Intelligence, stated that "Oreshnik" is the name of a research project, "it's just a cypher". He added that as of October 2024, Russia was supposed to have manufactured two experimental samples of the Kedr missile system, one of which struck Dnipro on 21 November.
• On 28 November, Putin claimed that mass production of the Oreshnik system had begun. The Kremlin leader said he might use the Oreshnik missile against "decision-making centres in Kyiv".
• On 17 December, Putin claimed that the Oreshnik ballistic missile system would be put on combat duty by the end of 2025.

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