Russia Goes Hypersonic

At least nine civilians were killed and hundreds of thousands were left without heat or electricity after waves of Russian missiles and a number of explosive drones landed in cities across eastern Ukraine.

Reports suggest the bombardment included at least a handful of Russia's high-tech hypersonic Kinzhal missiles. Capable of traveling more than a mile per second, they are too quick for traditional air defenses. It is unclear why the advanced weapons were used in this attack, though it likely contributed to higher hit rates. Ukrainian officials said 47 of 81 missiles (only an estimated six were hypersonic) reached their targets.

The attacks also threatened the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant—Europe's largest nuclear facility—which lost power for more than 11 hours. The plant's reactors require constant power to maintain its cooling systems; continued shelling in the area has raised concerns of a meltdown.

See updates on the broader war here.