Russia’s use of Oreshnik hypersonic missile should be universally condemned: UK statement at the UN Security Council

At the end of last week, Russia launched yet another brutal assault upon Ukraine.

Ukraine has confirmed that on the night of 8 January, Russia launched 242 drones and 36 missiles, including an Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile, against targets across Ukraine, particularly critical energy infrastructure.

The attack caused the death and injury of dozens of civilians, the deprivation of millions of power and heating at a time when temperatures reached as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius, and additional pressure on vital services including healthcare and water supplies.

Russia’s use of another Oreshnik IRBM should be universally condemned. This hypersonic missile capable of travelling at over Mach 10, is reported to have hit a site in the region of Lviv, just 50 miles from the Polish border. Such action is reckless – it threatens regional and international security, and carries significant risk of escalation and miscalculation.

Russia has attempted to justify this escalation by claiming an attack on one of President Putin’s residences.

But this claim is false; there was no such attack. This is just another case of Russia’s use of disinformation to justify egregious and escalatory activity in Ukraine.

Russia’s latest assault came in the same week that President Zelenskyy and the US were in Paris with European and international leaders to discuss peace.

President Putin claims to want peace, and yet his actions tell a different story.

The rest of the world wants peace in Ukraine – a peace in line with the UN Charter – and we welcome the significant progress which has been made. Together with our international partners, the UK will continue to work hard towards that goal.

Russia’s attacks are clearly intended to erode the morale of the Ukrainian people. But their resilience and determination over the past four years remains undimmed. Energy services are being restored, damaged homes being rebuilt. Ukraine will survive this latest attack, as it has survived so many before.

And if President Putin think this violence will deter Ukraine’s partners, he is wrong about that too. We will continue to ensure that Ukraine gets the military and financial support it needs to defend itself. And we will increase pressure on Russia to de-escalate and engage in meaningful negotiations.

For the sake of international security and the integrity of the UN Charter, Ukraine must emerge from this war as a sovereign, secure, and independent country.