In a sign of major escalation, Russia launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from the Astrakhan region on Thursday morning against Ukraine, marking the first use of such a weapon in the 33-month-long war, according to Ukraine’s air force.
The strike targeted enterprises and critical infrastructure in Dnipro, a central-eastern Ukrainian city. It is unclear whether the missile caused significant damage.
Ukraine’s air force stated, “An intercontinental ballistic missile was launched from the Astrakhan region of the Russian Federation.”
The statement did not specify the missile type but identified that six Kh-101 cruise missiles were also launched, all of which except one were intercepted by Ukrainian air defences, reported CNN.
As per The Telegraph, Russian media reported that Moscow might have used the RS-26 Rubezh missile, capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads and flying at hypersonic speeds, complicating interception efforts.
ICBMs typically have a range exceeding 5,500 kilometres and are designed to carry nuclear or conventional warheads.
This attack stresses escalating tensions after Ukraine recently used US-made ATACMS and British-French Storm Shadow missiles to strike targets deep within Russian territory, according to Reuters.
As the Ukraine made a first move, the Russian defence ministry today said that its air defence systems shot down two British-made Storm Shadow missiles, six HIMARS rockets and 67 drones.
The announcement came in the ministry’s daily roundup of the “special military operation” in Ukraine, AP reported.
The use of an ICBM follows President Vladimir Putin’s recent update to Russia’s nuclear doctrine. On Tuesday, he announced that Russia would consider aggression from a non-nuclear state, supported by a nuclear power, as a direct threat to its sovereignty.
The Kremlin had previously warned that Ukraine’s use of Western long-range missiles would be seen as a major escalation.
Ukrainian forces used these advanced weapons to hit Russian military installations earlier this week.
Moscow responded with threats of “massive” retaliatory strikes, including the deployment of more advanced missile systems.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the ICBM deployment. “That’s a question for our military,” he said.
