Russia launches its first intercontinental ballistic missile at Ukraine

In the midst of the Russian-Ukrainian war and tensions after the recent US decision, Ukraine announced something new that could tip the scales.

Kiev confirmed that Moscow launched an intercontinental ballistic missile at Ukraine for the first time on Thursday, in the latest escalation of the war after Ukraine fired long-range missiles supplied by the West at Russia.

The Ukrainian Air Force said Russian forces used the missile in an early morning attack on the city of Dnipro.

A source confirmed that this is the first time Moscow has used this weapon since the military operation in 2022.

In contrast, the Kremlin refused on Thursday to comment on Ukraine’s accusation that Moscow had launched an intercontinental missile for the first time on its territory.

“I have nothing to say about that,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said during a press briefing on Thursday, when asked whether Moscow had launched the missile, which is designed to carry both conventional and nuclear warheads and can hit targets thousands of kilometers away.

This Russian move coincided with great international tension after US President Joe Biden gave the green light last week for Ukraine to use long-range missiles provided by the United States to strike Russia.

In turn, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Western countries against such a move, saying it would represent direct involvement of NATO military forces in the war on Ukraine.

For months, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been calling for the lifting of restrictions on the missiles known as ATACMS, allowing Kiev to strike beyond its borders.

Ukraine used American ATACMS missiles to strike Russian territory, taking advantage of Biden’s statement.

In addition, Moscow said that the use of ATACMS, the longest-range missiles that Washington has supplied to Ukraine so far, is a clear sign that the West wants to escalate the conflict.