Russia Fires Intercontinental Ballistic Missile At Ukraine's Dnipro

Ukraine has reported that Russia fired what appeared to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at the city of Dnipro on Thursday, marking a potential escalation in the ongoing conflict. If confirmed, this would be the first time such a weapon, designed for long-distance nuclear strikes, has been used in the war.

However, Western officials later suggested that the missile may not have been an ICBM, although they left open the possibility that this initial analysis could change. The uncertainty surrounding the missile's classification has fueled tensions, underscoring the rapidly escalating nature of the 33-month-old war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in a video statement, said, "Today there was a new Russian missile. All the characteristics – speed, altitude – are (of an) intercontinental ballistic (missile). An expert (investigation) is currently underway."

Ukraine’s foreign ministry urged the international community to respond swiftly to what it described as "the use by Russia of a new type of weaponry." The Ukrainian Air Force identified the missile’s launch site as the Russian region of Astrakhan, located more than 700 kilometres (435 miles) from Dnipro in central-eastern Ukraine. The exact nature of the missile’s warhead remains unclear, but there has been no indication that it was nuclear-armed.

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According to reports from Ukrainska Pravda, a Kyiv-based media outlet, anonymous sources suggest the missile may have been an RS-26 Rubezh, a solid-fueled ICBM with a range of 5,800 kilometres (3,600 miles). First successfully tested in 2012, the RS-26 is around 12 meters (40 feet) long, weighing 36 tons, and can carry a nuclear warhead weighing 800 kilograms (1,765 pounds).

Although classified as an ICBM under the nuclear arms reduction treaty between the United States and Russia, the RS-26 could also be considered an intermediate-range ballistic missile when used with heavier payloads for shorter distances, according to the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

In response to Ukraine’s claims, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov advised reporters to seek comments from the Russian military. The missile strike follows a week of heightened hostilities, with Ukraine launching US and British missiles at targets within Russia, despite Moscow’s warnings that such actions would be considered a major escalation.

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