As the Russia-Ukraine war enters its 1,418th day—matching the duration of the "Great Patriotic War" (WWII) for the Soviet Union—the conflict has entered a deadly new phase. Russia has unleashed its new Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missiles on Kyiv and Lviv, aiming to break Ukrainian morale by dismantling the heating grid in the dead of winter.

The "Oreshnik" Terror

Overnight, explosions rocked Kyiv as Russian forces targeted energy infrastructure. Local officials report that over 1,000 buildings in the capital are without heat as temperatures plunge to -10°C. The Oreshnik missile, which travels at Mach 10, struck a facility near the Polish border in Lviv, a clear message to NATO.

• Ukraine Strikes Back: In retaliation, Ukrainian long-range drones struck a major oil depot in Russia’s Volgograd region, sparking a massive fire. Kyiv also claimed to have hit drilling platforms in the Caspian Sea, expanding the theater of war.
• Diplomatic Front: President Zelenskyy confirmed that the UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss the escalation. "Russia has repeated fascism," Zelenskyy said in his nightly address. "They fight hospitals and heaters because they cannot fight our soldiers."
• The British Missile: In a boost for Kyiv, the UK announced "Project Nightfall," a plan to rapidly develop and supply new long-range ballistic missiles (500km range) to Ukraine. This signals that Western support, though strained, is evolving to match Russia's escalation.

A War of Attrition

With the frontlines largely frozen, the war has become a battle of infrastructure and endurance. Russia is betting that a freezing Ukraine will sue for peace; Ukraine is betting that striking Russia's oil wallet will force a collapse. On Day 1,418, neither side is blinking.