On Thursday, Moscow launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at Ukraine for the first time, according to Kyiv, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict.
This missile strike follows Ukraine’s recent use of Western-supplied long-range missiles against Russia, further intensifying hostilities between the two nations.
The Ukrainian Air Force confirmed in a statement that Russian forces had launched multiple types of missiles at the central city of Dnipro in the morning, targeting critical infrastructure.
Among these was the ICBM, which was reportedly fired from the Astrakhan region in Russia.
A source within the Ukrainian Air Force told AFP that this was the first time since Russia’s invasion began that such a weapon had been deployed.
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The source clarified that, although the missile is capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads, it did not carry a nuclear payload during this strike.
When asked about the missile launch, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment, stating he had “nothing to say on this topic.”
Ukrainian air defense units managed to intercept and destroy six incoming missiles, though it was not specified whether the ICBM was among those intercepted.
According to Sergiy Lysak, the head of the Dnipropetrovsk region, the missile strikes caused significant damage, including to a rehabilitation center, several residential homes, and an industrial facility.
Two people were reported injured, with one receiving treatment on the scene and the other, a 42-year-old woman, hospitalized.
The escalation in missile use comes after the U.S. gave Ukraine permission to deploy ATACMS long-range missiles against Russian military targets, a long-standing request from Kyiv.
On Wednesday, British media reported that Ukraine had also launched Storm Shadow missiles, supplied by the UK, at Russian targets.
Russia’s defense ministry claimed to have downed two of these Storm Shadows, but did not specify whether the intercepts took place over Russian or Ukrainian territory.
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