On January 9, 2026, marking day 1,416 of the Russia-Ukraine war, Russian forces launched a significant aerial assault across Ukraine, most notably deploying its advanced Oreshnik hypersonic missile for only the second time in combat. The missile, capable of carrying nuclear warheads, struck an unspecified critical infrastructure facility in Ukraine's western Lviv Oblast, near the Polish border. This deployment is widely interpreted as a clear warning to Western allies amidst ongoing discussions for post-war security guarantees for Ukraine. Simultaneously, the Ukrainian capital Kyiv endured a massive overnight barrage of missiles and drones, resulting in at least four fatalities and 25 injuries. Emergency services reported extensive damage to residential buildings and critical infrastructure, leaving approximately 6,000 apartment buildings, or half the city's total, without heating, electricity, and water as temperatures plunged to minus 10 degrees Celsius. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko urged residents to temporarily evacuate if possible. Furthermore, Russian forces attacked two foreign-flagged civilian vessels with drones in Ukraine's southern Odesa region, killing a Syrian national and injuring another. In retaliation, a Ukrainian drone attack in Russia's Belgorod region reportedly injured four people. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented that the Oreshnik strike was "demonstratively" close to the European Union border, highlighting the escalatory nature of the attack. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also began consultations to establish a temporary ceasefire zone near Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant following military activity that damaged one of its high-voltage power lines. Russian forces also claimed to have seized five settlements in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region, including Zelenoye, according to the Russian Ministry of Defence. These events underscore a significant escalation in the conflict, with broader implications for regional and global security.