Vladimir Putin has said that Russia used a new hypersonic medium-range ballistic missile to attack a Ukrainian military facility, in what the Russian president claimed was a warning to Western nations arming Kyiv.
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky had earlier accused Mr Putin’s forces of using his country as a missile testing ground, after he warned that Russia had struck Dnipro with a missile “matching the speed and altitude” of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
While that would have marked the first time Moscow had used such missiles in Ukraine, Mr Putin said later on Thursday in a nationwide TV address that Russia had actually conducted combat tests of the mid-range “Oreshnik” hypersonic missile system.
With tensions escalating, Mr Putin said the Oreshnik had been fired in response to the aggressive actions of Nato countries, after Ukraine used US and British-made long-range missiles to strike targets on internationally recognised Russian territory for the first time this week.
Following Thursday’s strike, Mr Putin sought to threaten Kyiv’s allies by claiming that Moscow could hit the military installations of any country whose weapons were used against Russia.
Key Points
- Vladimir Putin says Russia tested hypersonic mid-range ballistic missile in Ukraine ...
- ... And claims Russia entitled to hit British and US military facilities
- Volodymyr Zelensky urges world to condemn Putin’s ‘severe escalation of brutality’
- Russia says it shot down two Storm Shadow missiles
Pentagon confirms new Russian missile used in attacking Ukraine
02:51
Arpan Rai
Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh confirmed that Russia’s missile was a new, experimental type of intermediate range missile based on it’s RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile.“This was new type of lethal capability that was deployed on the battlefield, so that was certainly of concern,” Ms Singh said, noting that the missile could carry either conventional or nuclear warheads. The UD was notified ahead of the launch through nuclear risk reduction channels, she said.
The Kremlin fired a new intermediate-range ballistic missile at Ukraine yesterday in response to Kyiv’s use this week of American and British missiles capable of striking deeper into Russia, president Vladimir Putin said.
UK-trained elite commandos approached to fight for Russia against Ukraine
02:00
Barney Davis
For Ghulam, it began with a form handed to him by a colleague, offering him a way out. For more than 12 years, he had been part of an elite troop of Afghan special forces set up, trained and paid by the British government.
Now, after being forced to flee the Taliban and leave his homeland for Iran, he worked long days in a recycling factory and had to evade police because of his undocumented status.
The fellow Afghan who gave Ghulam the form knew of his military background and thought he might be open to an offer. For some in Ghulam’s situation, a form comes first; for others, it’s contact by phone from other Afghan veterans.
Some have been approached face to face. However it’s done, and whatever the terms, the offer to these elite UK-trained commandos is broadly the same: come to fight for Vladimir Putin’s Russian forces against Ukraine.
Slovakia analysing US sanctions against Gazprombank, economy ministry says
01:00
Barney Davis
Slovakia’s Economy Ministry is analysing new U.S. sanctions against Gazprombank and will know their potential impact on Slovakia soon, the ministry said on Thursday.
Slovakia’s state-owned gas buyer SPP has a long-term contract with Gazprom and continues to buy Russian gas.
Storm Shadows undermine Putin’s narrative that Russia and NATO are at war
00:01
Barney Davis
Analysts and observers say that the loosening of restrictions on Ukraine’s use of Western missiles is unlikely to change the the course of the war, but it puts the Russian army in a more vulnerable position and could complicate the logistics that are crucial in warfare.
“It is an important move and it pulls against, undermines the narrative that Putin had been 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 now sits in the House of Lords.
Full report: Putin says Russia fired experimental ballistic missile at Ukraine
Thursday 21 November 2024 23:31
Andy Gregory
Vladimir Putin has claimed Moscow launched a new hypersonic ballistic missile against Ukraine in response for long-range strikes by Kyiv inside Russia using UK and US long-range missiles.
The Russian leader said the “Oreshnik,” or Hazel, medium-range missile had been used in some of its latest strikes. Earlier, Ukraine’s air force said Russia had fired a intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in an attack on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro - in what would be the first recorded use of the weapon during war
Ukrainian air defence forces said the missile - that has a range of more than 3,400 miles and can be used to carry nuclear warheads - was fired from Russia’s Astrakhan region, on the Caspian Sea. However, American officials said an initial US assessment indicated the strike was carried out with an intermediate-range ballistic missile which cannot travel so far, something backed by Putin’s remarks.
My colleague Alex Croft has the full report:
Defence secretary warns Ukraine’s front line is not stable
Thursday 21 November 2024 23:00
Barney Davis
While refusing to confirm whether the UK had given permission for long range missiles to be fired by Ukraine into Russian territory, Defence secretary John Healey expressed little surprise at the reports Russia had fired a new ballistic missile at the country.
He told MPs: “There are unconfirmed media reports today of Russia firing a new ballistic missile into Ukraine which we know they have been preparing for months.”
He warned: “This is a serious time. Intelligence reveals that the frontline is less stable than at any time since the Russian invasion in 2022.
“We have seen in recent weeks a very clear escalation from Putin and his forces. They have stepped up attacks on energy systems in Ukraine, ahead of winter. They have stepped up attacks on civilian centres, killing children. At least 10,000 North Korean troops have been sent to the front line.”
Watch: Russia spokesperson takes phone call during presser telling her not to comment on strike
Thursday 21 November 2024 22:44
Andy Gregory
Biden changed course on ATACMS after North Korea entered Ukraine war, officials say
Thursday 21 November 2024 22:29
Andy Gregory
Joe Biden dropped his opposition to Ukraine firing US missiles at on Russian territory in response to North Korea’s entry to the war, in a shift which took on extra urgency following Donald Trump’s election victory, sources familiar with the matter have told Reuters.
Moscow’s decision to deploy North Korean soldiers to Russia’s Kursk region represented a major escalation that demanded a response, a senior US official and two other sources familiar with the matter said.
Mr Trump’s victory added pressure on the Biden Administration to loosen the rules on the use of the weapons and take other steps to bolster Ukraine as it suffers repeated setbacks on the battlefield, according to two other sources familiar with the matter.
Easing controls on the use of the missiles was intended to send a message to the North Koreans and Russians that the shift was unacceptable, as well as hamper their efforts to push Ukrainians out of Kursk, a senior US official familiar with the administration’s thinking said.
The official acknowledged that relaxing the restrictions risked a further escalation of the conflict – but noted that Russia has so far taken no action against states other than Ukraine, while a congressional aide told the news agency that they believed the new policy only applied to the Kursk region.
Zelensky warns Putin’s new missile strike a ‘severe escalation in brutality of Russia’s war’
Thursday 21 November 2024 22:18
Andy Gregory
Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Russia’s attack on Ukraine using a new type of hypersonic mid-range ballistic missile was a “severe escalation” of the brutality of Vladimir Putin’s war.
“This is a clear and severe escalation in the scale and brutality of this war,” Zelenskiy wrote on X, referring to the strike on the central city of Dnipro. “The use of a ballistic missile against Ukraine today is yet more proof that Russia has no interest in peace.”
He added: “Putin is not only prolonging the war – he is spitting in the face of those in the world who genuinely want peace to be restored.
“The world must respond. Right now, there is no strong reaction from the world ... A lack of tough reactions to Russia’s actions sends a message that such behavior is acceptable.”
Moscow becoming reckless says Number 10
Thursday 21 November 2024 22:00
Barney Davis
Russia’s alleged use of a long-range ballistic missile for the first time in its war with Ukraine is “another example of reckless behaviour” by Moscow, Downing Street has said.
Asked if he could confirm reports an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) had been used by Russia in Ukraine, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “My understanding is that it is the first time that Russia has used a ballistic missile in Ukraine with a range of several thousand kilometres.
“This is obviously deeply concerning. It is another example of reckless behaviour from Russia, which only serves to strengthen our resolve in terms of standing by Ukraine for as long as it takes.”
Initial unconfirmed reports from Ukraine had suggested the weapon was an ICBM, but No 10 was cautious not to use this term for a specific type of weapon.
Watch: Putin says Russia tested new intermediate range missile in strike on Ukraine
Thursday 21 November 2024 21:41
Andy Gregory
US was notified by Russia before Thursday missile strike on Ukraine, official briefs
Thursday 21 November 2024 21:24
Andy Gregory
The United States was pre-notified by Russia shortly before its strike with an experimental intermediate-range ballistic missile on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro through nuclear risk reduction channels, a US official has told Reuters.
“The US was pre-notified briefly before the launch through nuclear risk reduction channels,” the official said.
What is the Storm Shadow cruise missile?
Thursday 21 November 2024 21:00
Barney Davis
Storm Shadow is an Anglo-French cruise missile with a maximum range of around 155 miles (250km). The French call it Scalp.
After launch, the weapon, equipped with its navigation system, descends to a low altitude to avoid detection before locking on to its target using an infra-red seeker. On the final approach, the missile climbs to a higher altitude to maximise the chances of hitting the target.
On impact, it penetrates the target before a delayed fuse detonates the main warhead. Powered by a turbo-jet engine, the 1,300kg Storm Shadow travels at speeds of more than 600mph, is just over five metres long and has a wingspan of three metres.
My colleagues Arpan Rai and Rachel Hagan have more details in this report:
US is aware of Russia's launch of intermediate-range ballistic missile, White House says
Thursday 21 November 2024 20:41
Andy Gregory
The United States is aware of Russia's launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile at Ukraine, and had briefed Ukraine and allies in recent days to help them prepare, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has told reporters.
Analysis | From Poland’s ‘iron dome’ to boots on the ground: How Europe is preparing for a Third World War
Thursday 21 November 2024 20:24
Andy Gregory
More than 900 miles from London, frenetic activity is underway in the countryside of Poland, Finland, and the Baltic States: bulldozers and diggers are constructing field defences. Anti-tank ditches, tank traps, and pillboxes are being built and installed. In all these countries, laying minefields – even controversial anti-personnel minefields – is under active consideration.
Poland is spending at least €2.5bn (£2.1bn) on its border defence system, including building a sky shield system akin to Israel’s “Iron Dome” to protect its eastern border from a growing threat from Russia. Poland’s defence project includes physical anti-tank obstacles, bunkers, and AI-powered anti-drone technologies to create early threat detection and surveillance systems.
Meanwhile, in response to the “hybrid war” tactics on several Baltic fronts, hundreds of millions of euros are being invested by the Baltic states to strengthen their defence lines with another major project, planned by Nato members Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, set to begin in 2025.
And what is the UK’s response to an increasing global threat? The country is scrapping £500m worth of military equipment – ships, drones, and helicopters – and will conduct a strategic defence review to decide what to do next.
Francis Tusa has more analysis here:
How can Ukraine defend itself from ICBMs?
Thursday 21 November 2024 20:00
Barney Davis
Ukraine uses a Patriot missile defense system supplied by the US and Germany to intercept incoming ballistic missile warheads, according to the Missile Threat Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
The Patriot system blows incoming warheads out of the sky, either with an exploding warhead of its own, or with kinetic interceptors ussng so-called “hit-to-kill” technology.
Patriot interceptors have a vertical range of about 12 areas and defend an area of about 10 miles around the battery.
They are limited in number so cities, like the capital Kyiv, enjoy greater protection than others.
UK counts 700,000 Russian casualties in 1,000 days of war
Thursday 21 November 2024 19:01
Andy Gregory
Ukraine in most perilous state yet as UK minister says Russia’s been planning new ballistic missile for months
Thursday 21 November 2024 18:40
Barney Davis
The defence secretary has admitted that the UK and her allies have known “for months” that Russia has been planning to use a new intercontinental ballistic missile as he warned about the fragile state of Ukraine’s frontline.
John Healey gave his warning to the Commons defence select committee where he was making his first apearance since Labour took power in July.
He was speaking at the same time as Sir Keir Starmer pushed back on claims the much-delayed decision to allow Ukraine to strike at Russian forces with storm shadow missiles was a reaction to Donald Trump‘s election as US president.
No 10 condemns Putin’s ‘reckless behaviour’ after mid-range ballistic missile strike on Ukraine
Thursday 21 November 2024 18:18
Andy Gregory
Downing Street has condemned Russia’s “reckless” behaviour after Vladimir Putin fired a hypersonic mid-range ballistic missile into Ukraine for the first time, and threatened to do the same to Western nations allowing Kyiv to fire long-range missiles into Russia.
Sir Keir Starmer’s official spokesperson said: “My understanding is that it is the first time that Russia has used a ballistic missile in Ukraine with a range of several thousand kilometres.”
No 10 said it was “an example of escalatory behaviour from Russia”.
But the Prime Minister’s spokesman added it “only serves to strengthen our resolve and to ensure that Ukraine has what it needs to act in self-defence against Russia’s reckless and illegal invasion”.
Issuing his threat to the West, Mr Putin declared that Russia would issue advance warnings before strikes on other countries to allow civilians to evacuate to safety.
Putin says Russia tested new hypersonic mid-range ballistic missile in Ukraine
Thursday 21 November 2024 17:59
Andy Gregory
Vladimir Putin has said that Russia used a new hypersonic medium-range ballistic missile to attack a Ukrainian military facility – contradicting fears in Kyiv that Moscow had fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky had earlier accused Mr Putin’s forces of using his country as a missile testing ground, after he warned that Russia had struck Dnipro with a missile “matching the speed and altitude” of an ICBM.
While that would have marked the first time Moscow had used such missiles in Ukraine, Mr Putin said later on Thursday in a nationwide TV address that Russia had actually conducted combat tests of the mid-range “Oreshnik” hypersonic missile system, in a strike he framed as a warning to the West.
With tensions escalating, Mr Putin said the Oreshnik had been fired in response to the aggressive actions of Nato countries, after Ukraine used US and British-made long-range missiles to strike targets on internationally recognised Russian territory for the first time this week.
What is an ICBM and how many does Russia have?
Thursday 21 November 2024 17:50
Barney Davis
As Ukraine deals with a suspected intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) strike on the city of Dnipro, the West has been quick to downplay the use of the long-range and difficult-to-detect warheads amid fears it could escalate the conflict.But what are they and how dangerous could they be for the human race?
Barney Davis explains:
Russia fired intermediate-range missile, not ICBM, at Ukraine, US says
Thursday 21 November 2024 16:56
Barney Davis
Russia fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile, not an ICBM, during an attack on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Thursday, a US official told Reuters, contradicting the official account from Ukraine.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the assessment was based on initial analysis.
US targets Russia's Gazprombank with new sanctions
Thursday 21 November 2024 16:20
Barney Davis
The U.S. imposed fresh sanctions on Russia’s Gazprombank on Thursday, the Treasury Department said, wielding its most powerful sanctioning tool against the bank.
The move effectively kicks Gazprombank - one of Russia’s largest banks - out of the US banking system, bans their trade with Americans and freezes their US assets.
The Treasury also imposed sanctions on 50 small-to-medium Russian banks to curtail the country’s connections to the international financial system and prevent it from abusing it to pay for technology and equipment needed for the war. It warned that foreign financial institutions that maintain correspondent relationships with the targeted banks “entails significant sanctions risk.”
The sanctions were imposed under a Biden executive order. It was not immediately clear whether President-elect Donald Trump could remove them if he decided to take a different stance on Russia.
Injury toll hits 26 with one woman fighting for life after Russian strike on Zelensky’s hometown
Thursday 21 November 2024 16:00
Barney Davis
The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that its air defence systems shot down two British-made Storm Shadow missiles, six HIMARS rockets, and 67 drones.
The statement didn’t say when or where the Storm Shadows were shot down or what they were targeting. Russia earlier reported downing some of the missiles over the illegally annexed Crimean Peninsula.
Russia also struck Zelensky’s home city of Kryvyi Rih, wounding 26 people, said the head of regional administration, Serhii Lysak.
The missile strike caused damage to an administrative building, at least five multistory residential buildings, and civilian vehicles.
Russian ambassador tells Sky News that UK is now directly involved in this war
Thursday 21 November 2024 15:24
Barney Davis
The UK’s Russian ambassador said in an interview with Sky News that “Britain is now directly involved in this war”.
Andrei Kelin said that “this fighting cannot happen without NATO and British stuff”.
Questioned by Mark Austin whether Russia’s use of Iranian drones and North Korean troops meant those countries were involved too, he added: “We have plenty of mercenaries from different countries that are fighting right now on the side of Ukraine.
“We have seen in the Kursk area the Polish unit so what does it matter?”
Russia spokesperson takes phone call during presser telling her not to comment on missile strike
Thursday 21 November 2024 15:04
Barney Davis
Watch the bizarre moment a Russian spokeswoman is instructed to say no comment to any questions on an alleged ICBM strike on Dnipro.
While answering reporters’ questions at a weekly briefing, spokeswoman Maria Zakharova was phoned by a man who used the informal “Mash” instead of Maria.
“About the ballistic missile strike on Yuzhmash (rocket company Pivdenmash) that the Western media are talking about, we are not commenting at all,” the man said.
The US is sending anti-personnel land mines to Ukraine – here’s what it means
Thursday 21 November 2024 14:55
Barney Davis
The US decision to provide Ukraine with antipersonnel land mines expands the use of a weapon that the international community has long condemned because of its danger to innocent civilians. And it reflects another in a long line of American policy shifts on the controversial issue in the past 30 years.
US officials say the mines are needed to help Ukraine stall Russian progress on the battlefield, where Moscow’s forces are moving in smaller ground units on the frontlines rather than in more heavily protected armored vehicles.
The defence department has been providing Ukraine with anti-tank mines throughout the war. Defence secretary Lloyd Austin said the new policy will give Ukraine “nonpersistent antipersonnel land mines” that are safer because they lose the ability to detonate over time.
Zelensky blasts ‘crazy neighbour’ in open letter celebrating Ukrainian revolutions
Thursday 21 November 2024 14:50
Barney Davis
President Volodymr Zelensky wrote an open letter to his people on the Day of Dignity and Freedom.
This day commemorates the beginning of two landmark events in Ukraine’s modern history: the Orange Revolution of 2004 and the Revolution of Dignity in 2013.
On his personal website, he wrote:
“Dear Ukrainians,“On November 21, Ukraine celebrates the Day of Dignity and Freedom – remembering the two Ukrainian revolutions, honoring what Ukrainians truly are. Also today, our insane neighbour has once again shown what they truly are, and how they despise dignity, freedom, and human life itself. And how terrified they are.
“So terrified that they are already using new missiles. And they are searching the world for more weapons. First in Iran, then in North Korea. Today it was a new Russian missile. All the parameters: speed, altitude – match those of an intercontinental ballistic missile. All expert evaluations are underway. Obviously, Putin is using Ukraine as a testing ground. Obviously, Putin is terrified when normal life simply exists next to him. When people simply have dignity. When a country simply wants to be and has the right to be independent.
“Putin is doing whatever it takes to prevent his neighbour from breaking free of his grasp. And I thank all Ukrainians, who are defending Ukraine from this evil – unwaveringly, bravely, firmly. With dignity. This is one of the key words for Ukraine – dignity. And it is a word that will probably never be used again to describe Russia.
“Today, I will sign a Decree enacting the National Security and Defense Council’s decision on dignity. On respect for the true heroes, heroes of Ukraine, for all our dignified people, and on fair treatment of those who chose the other side – chose Russia and treachery.”
France can’t confirm Russian ICBM attack on Dnipro
Thursday 21 November 2024 14:25
Barney Davis
France’s foreign ministry spokesman on Thursday said he could not confirm Russia had launched an intercontinental ballistic missile in an attack on Ukraine, but added such a move would be a serious escalation if reports are true.
Kyiv’s air force earlier said Russia fired an intercontinental ballistic missile during an attack on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro, in what would be the first use in war of a weapon designed to deliver long-distance nuclear strikes.
“If confirmed we will react in an appropriate manner,” Christophe Lemoine told journalists at a news conference.
RS-26 Rubezh thought to be first ICBM used by Russia
Thursday 21 November 2024 14:10
Barney Davis
Ukrainska Pravda, a Kyiv-based media outlet, cited anonymous sources saying the missile was an RS-26 Rubezh, a solid-fuelled intercontinental ballistic missile with a range of 5,800 km, according to the Arms Control Association.
The RS-26 was first successfully tested in 2012, and is estimated to be 12 metres (40 ft) long and weigh 36 tons, according to the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). It said the RS-26 can carry an 800-kg (1,765-pound)nuclear warhead.
The RS-26 is classified as an ICBM under a nuclear arms reduction treaty between the United States and Russia, but it can be seen as an intermediate-range ballistic missile when used with heavier payloads at ranges below 5,500 km, CSIS said.
‘If Russians invaded Eastern Europe tonight then we would fight,’ says British military general
Thursday 21 November 2024 13:50
Barney Davis
Lieutenant General Rob Magowan said, “If the British Army was asked to fight tonight, it would fight tonight.”
The Royal Marines general was speaking in a parliamentary select committee hearing on Thursday, 21 November.
He went on to say that nobody in the room should be under any illusions. “If the Russians invaded Eastern Europe tonight then we would meet them in that fight,” Magowan said.
Toll of injured in Kryvyi Rih rises to 17
Thursday 21 November 2024 13:15
Barney Davis
The number of those injured in the Russian missile attack on Kryvyi Rih has increased to 17 people, 10 of whom are in hospitals.
Serhiy Lysak, the head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Administration, wrote on Telegram: “According to the updated information, there are 17 victims in Kryvyi Rih. Ten of them are in the hospital,” Lysak said.
According to Lysak, a 38-year-old woman suffered cut wounds to her head. Her condition is critical.
Farage fury as Ukraine fires Storm Shadows
Thursday 21 November 2024 13:00
Barney Davis
Nigel Farage has hit out at Ukraine’s use of British Storm Shadow Missiles to attack Russia.
Ukraine hopes to hit barracks and missile silos deep within Russian territory with weapons provided by the West.
But Reform UK’s only MP, Mr Farage told GB News: “I do wonder, right at this time, whether it’s the wise thing to do...I think the idea Ukraine is going to win, frankly, is for the birds.”
Nigel Farage hits out at Britain’s decision to allow Ukraine to use Storm Shadow Missiles to attack Russia - says it’s just prolonging Kiev’s defeat pic.twitter.com/xoKqX1oT6e
— S p r i n t e r (@SprinterFamily) November 21, 2024
‘Storm Shadow strikes were aimed at North Korean command’ - report
Thursday 21 November 2024 12:45
Barney Davis
Ukraine’s 413th Separate Unmanned Systems Battalion told ABC News that Wednesday’s strikes with British Stormshadow missiles targeted a command centre where North Korean generals and officers were believed to be present in Russia’s Kursk region
Images circulating online appear to show fragments of Storm Shadow missiles in the border area into which Ukrainian forces staged a surprise assault in August, taking a swathe of territory they still hold.
Approval for the use of the weapons is believed to have been given in response to the deployment of more than 10,000 North Korean troops in Kursk alongside Russian troops, in what UK and US officials have warned is a major escalation of the war.
Analysis of the wreckage in Dnipro will show if Russia deployed ICBM
Thursday 21 November 2024 12:30
Barney Davis
Pavel Podvig, director of the Russian Nuclear Forces Project, stressed that this kind of ICBM strike alleged by Ukraine “might have a value as a signal”.
He wrote in a thread on X that one must be “skeptical and cautious” about the claims, adding: “Regarding the “intercontinental” claim, the distance from Kapustin Yar to Dnipro is about 800 km. It is not an intercontinental range.”
He added later: “Using these kinds of missiles, whether RS-26 or a true ICBM, in a conventional role does not make a lot of sense because of their relatively low accuracy and high cost. But this kind of a strike might have a value as a signal.”
UK ‘deeply concerned’ by ICBM reports
Thursday 21 November 2024 12:04
Barney Davis
Unconfirmed reports that Russia may have fired an intercontinental ballistic missile into Ukraine are “deeply concerning”, Downing Street said.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman added: “As you will understand it is a rapidly developing situation and I don’t want to get ahead of our intelligence services who are looking at these reports urgently, but if true, clearly this would be another example of grave, reckless and escalatory behaviour from Russia and only serves to strengthen our resolve.”
Asked if he could confirm reports UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles had been fired into Russia by Ukraine, the spokesman said: “It is still the case that we are not going to comment on operational matters that will only serve President (Vladimir) Putin.”
Zelensky claims speed and altitude of Dnipro strike shows it was ICBM
Thursday 21 November 2024 12:03
Barney Davis
The Ukrainian leader has insisted the latest Russian missile strike on Dnipro featured a weapon not used in 1,000 days of war.
Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February 2022, did not immediately comment on the air force statement.
Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) are strategic weapons designed to deliver nuclear warheads and are an important part of Russia’s nuclear deterrent.
The Ukrainians did not specify what kind of warhead the missile had or what type of missile it was. There was no suggestion it was nuclear-armed.
How could the war in Ukraine escalate?
Thursday 21 November 2024 11:47
Barney Davis
The latest suspected ICBM strikes come after the war has taken on a growing international dimension with the arrival of North Korean troops to help Russia on the battlefield — a development that officials said prompted US President Joe Biden’s policy shift on allowing Ukraine to fire longer-range US missiles into Russia.
The attack comes two days after Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a revised nuclear doctrine that formally lowers the threshold for the country’s use of nuclear weapons.
Putin has previously warned the US and other NATO allies that allowing Ukraine to use Western-supplied longer-range weapons to hit Russian territory would mean that Russia and NATO are at war.
And the new doctrine allows for a potential nuclear response by Moscow even to a conventional attack on Russia by any nation that is supported by a nuclear power.
While the doctrine envisions a possible nuclear response by Russia to a conventional strike, it is formulated broadly to avoid a firm commitment to use nuclear weapons and keep Putin’s options open.
15 injured in Russian missile attack on Kryvyi Rih
Thursday 21 November 2024 11:32
Barney Davis
Two teenagers are among those injured after a Russian strike on Kryvyi Rih.
The head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Administration Serhiy Lysak said on Telegram: “15 wounded in Kryvyi Rih.
“Among them are two teenagers. A 17-year-old boy was taken to hospital. Another 16-year-old was treated at the scene.”
He said a total of nine people had been hospitalised.
Two injured in strike on Dnipro
Thursday 21 November 2024 10:45
Barney Davis
A 57-year-old man and a 42-year-old woman, were injured in Dnipro as a result of a Russian missile attack, early on Thursday morning, according to early information.
The head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Administration Serhiy Lysak said the rehabilitation centre for the disabled was damaged.
He added: “There is destruction in the garage cooperative. There was a fire there. 9 garages were mutilated. In addition, as already reported earlier, an industrial enterprise was damaged. And also two private houses. A fire broke out in one of them, it was extinguished.
“Previously, two people were injured. The 57-year-old man was treated on the spot. A 42-year-old woman was hospitalised. Communal services work at emergency sites.
“The National Police accepts claims about damage to property. Philanthropists helped people. They provide psychological help and materials for quick repairs.”
Video: Western official claims Dnipro strike wasn’t ICBM
Thursday 21 November 2024 10:28
Barney Davis
There is some debate as to whether Russia did launch an intercontinental ballistic missile toward Ukraine, officials in Kyiv said after a Western official told ABC News that the attack did not appear to be an ICBM.
It was a ballistic missile which was aimed at Dnipro, the unnamed Western official said.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment, saying questions about it should be instead directed to the Russian Defense Ministry.
This is supposedly video showing what hit Dnipro last night.
— Patrick Reevell (@Reevellp) November 21, 2024
Ukraine thought it was an ICBM.
A Western official though says it wasn’t.
Assessment ongoing.
pic.twitter.com/BzUqbobB1V
‘ICBM fired by Russia was an RS-26 Rubezh’ Ukriane claims
Thursday 21 November 2024 10:05
Barney Davis
A Russian intercontinental ballistic missile that Ukraine says was fired at the city of Dnipro on Thursday was an RS-26 Rubezh, Ukraine’s Ukrainska Pravda media outlet reported, citing anonymous sources.
According to the Arms Control Association, the RS-26 has a range of 5,800 km.
Ukraine’s air force said earlier on Thursday that Russia had fired an ICBM at Dnipro without specifying the type of missile.
Dnipro centre for war wounded damaged in Russian ICBM strike - mayor
Thursday 21 November 2024 10:05
Barney Davis
Dnipro was the latest city to come under attack from Russia’s latest missile strike on Ukraine.
Borys Filatov the Mayor of Dnipro said on Telegram: “As a result of shelling, the building of the rehabilitation centre for the disabled was damaged.
“The boiler room was destroyed, the windows were broken. Information about people is being clarified.”
I survived Nagasaki bombing – Putin has no idea of the horrors of nuclear war
Thursday 21 November 2024 09:50
Barney Davis
Terumi Tanaka, co-chair of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize-winning group representing survivors of the US atomic bomb attacks in 1945, tells Adam Withnall in Tokyo that civilisation as we know it is in imminent danger as Russia ramps up its sabre-rattling against the West over the invasion of Ukraine.
In Pictures: Devastation at Dnipro after Kyiv claims Russia fired ICBM missile for first time
Thursday 21 November 2024 09:49
Barney Davis
Russia says it shot down two Storm Shadow missiles
Thursday 21 November 2024 09:25
Barney Davis
Russian air defences shot down two British Storm Shadow cruise missiles, Russia’s defence ministry said on Thursday, news agency Interfax reported.
Images circulating online appear to show fragments of Storm Shadow missiles in Russia’s Kursk region – the border area into which Ukrainian forces staged a surprise assault in August, taking a swathe of territory they still hold.
Approval for the use of the weapons is believed to have been given in response to the deployment of more than 10,000 North Korean troops in Kursk alongside Russian troops, in what UK and US officials have warned is a major escalation of the war.
Russia launches intercontinental ballistic missiles at Dnipro
Thursday 21 November 2024 09:15
Barney Davis
Ukraine’s air defence forces shot down six Russian Kh-101 missiles in an early morning strike on the city of Dnipro.
For two hours from 5am on Thursday, Russia attacked Dnipro’s critical infrastructure, employing missiles of various types, Kyiv’s the Air Force reports.
Ukraine’s air defense forces intercepted six Kh-101 missiles adding that other missiles caused no