Friday, November 22, 2024 - Ukraine on Thursday, November 22 accused Russia of launching an intercontinental ballistic missile in an overnight attack, which would be the first recorded use of an ICBM in an active conflict. The claim was disputed by a Western official, who said it was a ballistic missile but not an ICBM that was fired.
The Kremlin did not immediately respond to the accusation,
with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov referring questions to the Russian Defense
Ministry. The Western official declined to further characterize the missile
that was used, which the person said was targeting the eastern city of Dnipro,
adding that its impact was still being assessed.
It came as Ukrainian forces used their first long-range U.S.
and British missiles to strike Russian soil after Washington and its allies
lifted restrictions on Kyiv — a move that Moscow had long warned would be met
with a significant response.
ICBMs typically have a range of at least 3,400 miles, so
it’s unclear why the Kremlin would allegedly use one against its neighbor
except it was testing the weapons ahead of possible strikes against rival
countries.
Such missiles can carry either nuclear and nonnuclear
payloads.
President Vladimir Putin this week lowered the bar for his
country’s use of a nuclear weapon, a move that was dismissed by Western
officials as the latest instance of Russian saber rattling in the war, which
has now lasted more than 1,000 days.
Analysts said that if confirmed, firing an ICBM would most
likely represent another escalation designed to send a message to the Kremlin's
foes about its capabilities.
Speaking in a video posted on
Telegram, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that “today, our crazy
neighbor once again showed what he really is and how he despises dignity,
freedom, and people’s lives in general... he is so afraid that he is already
using new missiles.”
“It is obvious that Putin is
using Ukraine as a training ground,” he added, saying that that the speed and
altitude of the missile that Russian forces launched suggested that it was an
ICBM, but that investigations were now underway.
The Ukrainian air force said earlier that the alleged ICBM
was launched from the Caspian Sea region of Astrakhan in southern Russia at
Dnipro, but said it had not yet received any information about whether there
had been any victims. It did not specify exactly what model of missile was
used.
In a statement posted on Telegram, the air force said that
Moscow had also attacked Dnipro with various other missiles. It said that
Russian aircraft had fired an air-launched ballistic missile and seven cruise
missiles, and that Ukrainian forces had shot down six cruise missiles.
Serhii Lysak, the head of the regional authority, said on
Telegram that two people were injured in the attack on Dnipro. Meanwhile, 15
people were injured in a separate attack on the eastern city of Kryvyi Rih,
local authorities said.
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