Russia launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from its southern Astrakhan region during a morning attack on Ukraine on Thursday, marking the first use of such a powerful long-range missile in the conflict, claims Ukraine’s air force.
The missile strike targeted enterprises and critical infrastructure in the central-eastern city of Dnipro, a key hub in Ukraine’s industrial and logistical network. The Ukrainian air force confirmed the attack, which comes amid rising tensions following Ukraine’s recent use of U.S. and British-supplied missiles to strike Russian targets. Moscow had repeatedly warned that such actions would lead to a severe escalation, and the ICBM launch appears to be in response to these Ukrainian strikes on Russian soil.
Anton Gerashchenko, advisor to the former Minister of Internal Affairs, has confirmed that Russia launched an ICBM. However, Russia has not confirmed this. Apparently, the ICBM struck Dnipropetrovsk, but there is no word on the damage it caused.
While the exact target of the missile remains unclear, the long-range nature of intercontinental ballistic missiles, capable of reaching thousands of kilometers, has raised concerns. These missiles can carry both nuclear and conventional warheads, though it is still unknown whether the missile launched by Russia was equipped with a nuclear payload or a conventional warhead.
In the course of the attack, Ukrainian air defences successfully intercepted and destroyed six Kh-101 cruise missiles, underscoring the ongoing effectiveness of Kyiv’s air defence systems, despite the increasingly sophisticated Russian missile arsenal.
Russia’s use of an ICBM adds another layer of complexity to the already devastating 33-month-long war that began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.