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 its 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 countrys 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 peoples 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. The post
Ukraine claims Russia launched intercontinental ballistic missile at it for the first time appeared first on
Linda Ikeji Blog.
