Russia Launches Hypersonic Kinzhal Retaliatory Strike on Ukraine

Russia’s Defense Ministry announced that the country’s armed forces carried out a retaliatory strike against Ukraine using Kinzhal hypersonic missiles. The attack was described as a response to what Moscow called “terrorist actions” committed by Kyiv.

High-Precision Weapons and Drones Used in Operation

According to the ministry, the operation employed not only hypersonic missiles but also other high-precision air- and sea-launched weapons as well as combat drones. The coordinated attack targeted several facilities of Ukraine’s gas infrastructure, which, as stated by Russian officials, were being used to support the country's military-industrial complex.

“The objective of the strike has been achieved. All designated targets have been destroyed,” the Russian Ministry of Defense said in its official statement.

The ministry did not specify which particular sites were hit. However, explosions were reported in at least four Ukrainian cities — Kharkiv, Kirovohrad, Poltava, and Izium. The latter is considered a key logistics hub that supplies electricity to the Kramatorsk, Borivske, and Kupiansk fronts of the ongoing military operations.

Retaliation for Recent Attacks

Russian authorities framed the strike as a measured response to recent Ukrainian attacks, stressing that the use of Kinzhal hypersonic missiles demonstrated Moscow’s ability to conduct swift and precise retaliatory operations. The ministry noted that such strikes are intended to degrade the capabilities of Ukraine’s defense and energy sectors that directly support combat operations.