Ukraine warns Russia preparing hypersonic Oreshnik missile strike as US embassy issues alert for 'significant air attack'

May 23, 2026

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warns Russia is preparing a strike with a hypersonic Oreshnik missile, prompting the US Embassy in Kyiv to issue an alert for a "significant air attack." The threat follows a Russian vow of retaliation for a deadly drone strike on a Luhansk student dorm, for which Ukraine denies responsibility. Russia has used the Oreshnik, which it claims is unstoppable, twice before.

Oreshnik hypersonic missile strike warning

▪The Oreshnik missile reportedly travels at more than 10 times the speed of sound, which Vladimir Putin has claimed makes it impossible to intercept.
▪Russia has previously used the Oreshnik missile against Ukraine twice: in November 2024 and January 2026.
▪Zelenskyy's warning was based on intelligence from Ukraine, the U.S., and Europe.
▪In January 2026, the leaders of Britain, France, and Germany described Russia's use of an Oreshnik missile as "escalatory and unacceptable."
▪Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned on May 23, 2026, that Russia is preparing a strike using a hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile.
▪The US Embassy in Kyiv issued a security alert on May 23, 2026, for a "potentially significant air attack" that could occur within 24 hours.
▪The potential Russian attack is a "combined strike" that could target Kyiv and involve various types of weaponry, including intermediate-range weapons.

Luhansk student dorm drone strike

▪Russian officials reported the death toll from the Luhansk dorm strike rose to 16, with most victims being young women.
▪Ukraine's military has denied responsibility for the drone strike on the student dorm in the Russian-controlled Luhansk region.
▪The warning followed an order from Russian President Vladimir Putin for his military to prepare retaliation for a drone strike on a student dorm in Luhansk.

Ukraine seeks preventive international response

▪President Zelenskyy stated that Kyiv is counting on a "preventive" international response, rather than one that is "post factum."
▪Zelenskyy warned that Russia's use of such weapons sets a "global precedent for other potential aggressors."

Russian hybrid warfare escalation

▪UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper warned that Russia's weakening on the battlefield is making it "more reckless and dangerous."
▪Cooper said Russia's recklessness includes "escalating attacks on Ukrainian civilians" and "increasing hybrid threats across the continent."