Russia launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at Ukraine for the first time on Thursday morning, Kyiv’s air force said.
The missile was launched from Astrakhan and targeted critical infrastructure in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro, it added.
Ukrainian officials said Dnipro was also hit with other weapons including several cruise missiles and a medium range ballistic missile.
A rehabilitation centre for people with disabilities was damaged and a fire broke out at a residential building, Ukrainian emergency services said.
Two people have so far been reported injured.
A spokesman for Sir Keir Starmer said that if reports of an ICBM strike are true, it would be “another example of depraved, reckless and escalatory behaviour from Russia”.
Russia has refused to deny that it fired the ICBM, which would be the first time that the extreme long range weapons have ever been used in a war.
Asked whether Moscow fired the missile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he had “nothing to say on this topic”.
On Wednesday, Ukrainian media reported that the Kremlin was threatening to strike the country with a “massive” new missile in retaliation for Kyiv firing UK and US long-range missiles at targets inside Russia.
Russian media reported that Moscow was preparing to launch RS-26 Rubezh missiles from a site in Astrakhan by the Caspian Sea.
Western nations including the United States shut their embassies on Thursday in anticipation of a large-scale air strike.
The RS-26, which can carry both conventional and nuclear warheads, has not been used in combat before, according to Western missile experts. It is said to fly at five times the speed of sound, making it harder for Kyiv’s US-supplied Patriot missile systems to shoot down.
UK is ‘stepping up’ support for Ukraine, says Defence Secretary
Defence Secretary John Healey has described the UK Government as “doubling down” on its support for Ukraine but refused to confirm whether Storm Shadow had been used.
Mr Healey told the Commons Defence Committee: “While the Ukrainian actions on the battlefield speak for themselves, be in no doubt that the UK Government is stepping up our support for Ukraine, determined to continue doubling down our support for Ukraine.”
Battle lines in Ukraine are now “less stable than at any time since the early days of the full scale Russian invasion”, Mr Healey added, citing British intelligence.
The Defence Secretary refused to confirm reports that Ukraine launched British-supplied long-range missiles.
He said: “I won’t be drawn on the operational details of the conflict.
“It risks both operational security and in the end the only one that benefits from such a public debate is President Putin.”
ICBM attack would be more depraved, reckless and escalatory behaviour,’ No 10 says
A spokesman for Sir Keir Starmer has said that if reports of an ICBM strike are true, it would be “another example of depraved, reckless and escalatory behaviour from Russia”.
If an ICBM has been used it would take the conflict to another level, the spokesman added.
He went on to say that reports of the extreme long range weapons being used were “extremely concerning”.
ICBMs, or intercontinental ballistic missiles, are designed to strike targets between 6,000 to 9,000 miles away.
They can usually carry either conventional or nuclear warheads and have never been used in a conflict before.
US media said that Russia did not fire an ICBM at Ukraine on Thursday, citing an unnamed Western official.
Kremlin spokeswoman ordered not to talk about missile strike live on air
Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman received a phone call during a live press briefing on Thursday ordering her not to comment on reports of a ballistic missile strike on Ukraine.
“Masha,” an unknown male voice said on the phone, addressing spokeswoman Maria Zakharova using an intimate nickname for “Maria”.
“On the Yuzhmash ballistic missile strike that the Westerners have started talking about, we are not commenting at all,” the man told Ms Zakharova.
Yuzhmash refers to a Ukrainian rocket manufacturer headquartered in Dnipro, the city that Russia attacked with missiles on Thursday morning.
EU: Russian ICBM attack would be ‘clear escalation’
The EU has said that if Russia has launched an intercontinental ballistic missile at Ukraine, it would be a “clear escalation” by Vladimir Putin.
“While we’re assessing the full facts it’s obvious that such [an] attack would mark yet another clear escalation from the side of Putin,” Peter Stano, the bloc’s foreign affairs spokesman, said.
An ICBM attack would represent a “quantitative and qualitative change” in the war, Mr Stano added.
Ukraine has said that Russia fired an ICBM at the city of Dnipro on Thursday morning.
An unnamed Western official however said that Russia had not fired an ICBM, according to US media reports.
Western official denies that Russia has used ICBM, US media reports
A Western official has said Russia did not attack Ukraine with an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Thursday morning, US media has reported.
The unnamed official told ABC news that Russia had in fact used a shorter range ballistic missile.
Ukraine earlier said that Russia had attacked Dnipro with one ICBM, several cruise missiles and one Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missile.
Russia has refused to deny that it fired an ICBM.
Asked whether Moscow fired the missile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he had “nothing to say on this topic”.
Russian missiles rain down on Dnipro
Russian missiles are shown raining down on the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Thursday morning.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia attacked the city with six cruise missiles and one intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
It is not clear if the footage shows cruise missile attacks or the ICBM, which can fire multiple warheads.
Kremlin: US missile defence base in Poland is a priority target
The Kremlin said on Thursday that it considers a US missile defence base in Poland a “priority target”.
“Given the level of threats posed by such Western military facilities, the missile defence base in Poland has long been included amongst the priority targets for potential neutralisation,” Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
The facility is located in Redzikowo near Poland’s Baltic coast and was opened on November 13.
Nato said the site is part of larger missile shield and is designed to detect, track and intercept ballistic missiles.
Russia ‘shoots down two Storm Shadow missiles’
Russia has shot down two Storm Shadow missiles that the UK has given to Ukraine, its defence ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
The statement came in the ministry’s daily roundup of military activity in Ukraine, but it did not specify when the reported downing of the missiles happened.
Ukraine was reported to have fired Storm Shadow missiles at a target in Russia for the first time on Wednesday.
The UK has provided Kyiv with Storm Shadow missiles since early 2023, but they were initially not allowed to be used against targets inside Russia.
Russia ‘raises flag key Donetsk town’
Russian troops raised their national flag in central Kurakhove on Thursday amid fierce fighting for the key Donetsk town, according to Russian state media.
“Our troops have raised the first Russian flag in the central part of Kurakhove,” the state-run Tass news agency quoted Russian-installed local politician Vladimir Rogov as saying.
“In Kurakhove, the main offensive operations are ongoing along Zaporizhzhia Avenue,” Mr Rogov added.
Citing a defence source, Tass earlier reported that Russian troops had pushed Ukrainian forces out of half of their positions in the town.
Moscow’s defence ministry also said on Thursday that Russian forces had taken the small village of Dalne, which is three miles south of Kurakhove.
Industrial facility damaged in Dnipro, local officials say
A large-scale Russian attack on the central city of Dnipro on Thursday caused two fires and damaged an industrial facility, local officials said.
It comes as Ukraine’s air force said that Russia launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and six smaller cruise missiles at the city.
“The aggressor launched a large-scale attack on the oblast early in the morning. The aftermath is still being determined,” Serhii Lysak, head of the Dnipro regional military administration, said.
“It is known as of now that an industrial facility in Dnipro was damaged. Additionally, two fires occurred in the city,” he added.
The officials did not specify if the damage was caused by the larger ICBM or the cruise missiles.
Zelensky suggests Ukraine will not take Crimea back by force
Voldymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine will not attempt to retake Crimea by force, suggesting that the occupied territory can only be brought back via diplomatic means
“We cannot spend dozens of thousands of our people so that they perish for the sake of Crimea coming back,” the Ukrainian president said in an interview with Fox News.
“And still it’s not a fact that we can bring it back with the arms in our hands. We understand that Crimea can be brought back diplomatically,” he added.
Russia seized and annexed Crimea in 2014 after the Euromaidan revolution that forced Ukraine’s then pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych to flee the country.
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