India, Jan. 9 -- Russia launched one of its most advanced weapons, the hypersonic Oreshnik missile, at Ukraine overnight Thursday in a powerful strike that adds a new twist to the nearly four-year conflict. The attack came amid ongoing diplomatic talks and intense military pressure on Kyiv during freezing winter conditions.

The explosions were reported in multiple cities, and widespread alert warnings from Western allies.

The Oreshnik is a new Russian intermediate-range ballistic missile capable of flying at hypersonic speed, more than 10 times the speed of sound, and striking deep into enemy territory. It draws on the design of the Soviet-era RS-26 Rubezh missile, but with modern updates that make it harder to detect and intercept.

Th...