Ukraine says Russia launched ICBMs; The US says it was intermediate range

By HANNA ARHIROVA and ILLIA NOVIKOV, Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine claimed Thursday that Russia launched an intercontinental ballistic missile overnight in one of its cities, but US officials said an initial US assessment indicated the strike was carried out with an intermediate-range ballistic missile.

Ukraine has provided no evidence that an ICBM was used in the attack on the central city of Dnipro, apparently armed with conventional warheads.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said a missile used “matches the speed and altitude” of an ICBM. The Kremlin declined to comment on the strike.

But an initial U.S. assessment shows the strike came from an intermediate-range ballistic missile, not an ICBM, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly on this. A third US official also said it did not appear to be an ICBM.

The attack comes in a week when tensions have increased repeatedlyas the US eased restrictions on Ukraine’s use of longer-range US-made missiles inside Russia and Russian President Vladimir Putin lowered the threshold for launching nuclear weapons.

The range of an ICBM – which can exceed 5,500 kilometers (3,400 miles) – is beyond what is needed to attack Ukraine. But such missiles are designed to carry nuclear warheads, and the use of one, even with a conventional payload, would serve as a chilling reminder of Russia’s nuclear capability. It also appears to send a message to Ukraine’s Western allies that Moscow has the ability to target them.

If confirmed, it would be the first time Moscow has used such a weapon in war.

In a statement published on the Telegram messaging app on Thursday, the Ukrainian air force said an intercontinental ballistic missile had been fired at Dnipro, along with eight other missiles, and that the Ukrainian military had shot down six of them.

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In this photo provided by Ukrainian emergency services on Nov. 21, 2024, rescuers put out a fire at a building that was badly damaged by a Russian strike in Dnipro, Ukraine. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

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Two people were injured in the attack, and an industrial facility and a rehabilitation center for the disabled were damaged, according to local officials.

The air force statement said it was launched from Russia’s Astrakhan region on the Caspian Sea.

“Today, our crazy neighbor once again showed what he really is,” Zelenskyy said. “And how afraid he is.”

British officials did not immediately confirm what kind of missile Russia launched. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesman, Dave Pares, called the reports “deeply concerning” but added that intelligence services were still looking into them.

“If true, this would clearly be another example of serious, reckless and escalating behavior by Russia and only serves to strengthen our resolve,” he said.

Defense Secretary John Healey said there were “unconfirmed reports … that Russia has launched a new ballistic missile into Ukraine, which we know it has been preparing for months”.

Ballistic missiles can have a range of under 500 kilometers (310 mi) to over 5,500 kilometers (3,400 mi) in the case of ICBMs. “Ballistic” refers to the shape of their trajectory.

Since the Cold War era, Moscow and Washington have given each other advance notice of ICBM launches to prevent the other side from perceiving the test launch as a nuclear attack.

They have refrained from exchanging such warnings despite rising tensions – which have risen again in recent days.

Earlier this week, the Biden administration authorized Ukraine to use provided by the US, longer range missiles to strike deeper into Russia – a move that drew an angry response from Moscow.

A few days later, Ukraine fired several of the rockets in Russia, according to the Kremlin. On the same day, Putin signed a new doctrine which allows for a potential nuclear response to even a conventional attack on Russia by any nation that is backed by a nuclear power.

The doctrine is broadly formulated to avoid a firm commitment to use nuclear weapons. In response, Western countries, including the US, said Russia had used irresponsible nuclear rhetoric and behavior throughout the war to intimidate Ukraine and other nations.

They also expressed dismay at the deployment of thousands North Korean troops to Russia to fight against Ukraine.

Also on Thursday, Russia also struck Zelensky’s hometown of Kryvyi Rih, injuring 26 people, regional administration head Serhii Lysak said. The missile strike damaged an administrative building, at least five multi-storey residential buildings and civilian vehicles.

Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that its air defense systems shot down two British-made Storm Shadow missiles, six HIMARS missiles and 67 drones.

The statement did not say when or where the Stormshadows were shot down or what they were targeting. Russia previously reported that it shot down some of the missiles over the illegally annexed Crimean Peninsula.

More than 1,000 days at warRussia has the upper hand, with its larger army advancing into Donetsk and Ukrainian civilians suffering relentless drone and missile strikes.

Analysts and observers say loosening restrictions on Ukraine’s use of Western missiles is unlikely to change the course of the war, but puts the Russian military in a more vulnerable position and could complicate logistics that are crucial to the war.

Putin also warned that the move would mean Russia and NATO are at war.

“It’s an important move and it backfires, undermining the narrative that Putin was trying to establish that it was fine for Russia to rain down Iranian drones and North Korean missiles on Ukraine, but a reckless escalation for Ukraine to use Western-supplied weapons. at legitimate targets in Russia,” said Peter Ricketts, a former UK national security adviser who is now in the House of Lords.

Associated Press writers Jill Lawless in London and Aamer Madhani, Tara Copp and Lolita C. Baldor in Washington contributed to this report.

Originally published: Nov 21, 2024 at 4:37 am PST