Russia attacks Ukraine for the second time with Oleshnik ballistic missilePublished on January 9th 12:48 GMT
thomas spencer
BBC verification researcher
BBC Verify is investigating Russia's claims that it launched Oleshnik ballistic missile attacks against Ukraine overnight.
The lack of distinctive detail and darkness made it impossible to locate the footage, but we were able to confirm that it was new.
We showed a number of experts surveillance camera footage of the alleged missile landing in the Lviv region of Ukraine.
image source, telegramCCTV footage of strikes in Lviv region
They agreed that the video was “visually consistent” with what would be expected from the reported characteristics of the Oreshnik, an improved intermediate-range ballistic missile believed to be capable of launching multiple warheads simultaneously.
Fabian Hintz, a missile technology researcher at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, identified the missile by its “characteristic pattern of submunitions that glow as they descend at high speed.”
However, some experts we spoke to differ on whether the missile carried multiple warheads.
Alistair Saddington, professor of defense aviation at Cranfield University, added there were no immediate signs of an explosion.
This is the second time Russia has used the Oreshnik, the first time it was deployed to attack the central city of Dnipro in November 2024. The weapon is believed to pose a serious challenge to Ukraine's air defenses and is claimed to be capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.
