Ukraine has alleged that Russia launched what appeared to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) targeting the city of Dnipro on Thursday, potentially marking the first use of such a weapon in active combat. While Western officials later disputed the classification, the incident underscores the rising tensions in the prolonged conflict.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the weapon as having the speed and altitude consistent with an ICBM, noting that an investigation is ongoing to confirm its type. The Ukrainian foreign ministry called for swift international action against what it termed the deployment of a new category of weaponry.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported the missile was launched from Astrakhan, a region in southern Russia, over 700 kilometers from Dnipro. No details were provided about the warhead or whether the missile carried a nuclear payload.
Western sources, speaking anonymously, suggested the missile may not have been an ICBM but cautioned that assessments could change with further analysis.
According to Ukrainian media outlet Ukrainska Pravda, the missile may have been an RS-26 Rubezh, a solid-fueled ICBM with a range of 5,800 kilometers, first tested in 2012. Designed to deliver nuclear warheads, the RS-26 can also function as an intermediate-range ballistic missile with adjusted payloads.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the allegation, deferring inquiries to Russia’s military.
This development comes amid heightened military activity, with Ukraine recently deploying U.S. and British missiles on Russian soil, an act Moscow views as a significant escalation.
The strike, regardless of its classification, adds to the mounting concerns about the intensifying use of advanced weaponry in the conflict, now in its 33rd month.