KYIV: Russia launched an intercontinental ballistic missile at the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro, according to Ukraine’s Air Force command, in what would be a further major escalation of hostilities and an alarming signal to Kyiv’s Western backers.
The strike, if confirmed, would appear to be the first use of an ICBM in combat since the weapon was developed at the inception of the Cold War. The missile was launched from Astrakhan by the Caspian Sea, a distance of more than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles), according to Ukraine.
Oil and gold rose and stocks fell on news of the ICBM’s use, which came as part of a larger missile barrage targeting central Ukraine early on Thursday.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov referred questions about the launch of an ICBM to Russia’s Defence Ministry, while separately saying that Moscow takes a “responsible position” to avoiding nuclear conflict, the state-run Tass news agency reported.
The launch of an ICBM, which has a range of more than 5,000 kilometers and is primarily designed to deliver nuclear weapons, would mark a significant step up in Moscow’s attacks and send a stark signal to Kyiv’s allies after Ukraine used US and UK long-range missiles on Russia.
Meanwhile, President Vladimir Putin has lowered the threshold for the use of Russia’s nuclear arsenal as President Joe Biden reversed course and allowed Ukraine to use US-supplied ATACMS missiles to strike Russia. Ukraine also used UK-made Storm Shadow missiles against Russian targets.
Denial
A western official, speaking to ABC News in the US, has denied the Ukrainian claim that an ICBM was used by Russia overnight.
The network reports “It was instead a ballistic missile, which was aimed at Dnipro, in Ukraine’s southeast, the western official said.”
Here are some key characteristics of ICBMs:
RANGE: ICBMs have a range of more than 5,500km (about 3,400 miles), allowing them to travel across continents, often from one country to another.
TRAJECTORY: They follow a ballistic trajectory, meaning that after being launched, they travel outside the Earth's atmosphere and then re-enter to hit their target. Their flight path is similar to that of a spacecraft re-entering the Earth's atmosphere.
SPEED: ICBMs travel at extremely high speeds, often reaching speeds of over 20,000km per hour (about 12,500 miles per hour) during their re-entry phase.
PAYLOAD: ICBMs can carry nuclear warheads, which is a significant reason for their role in international military deterrence. However, they can also be equipped with conventional warheads.
LAUNCH: ICBMs can be launched from land-based silos, submarine-launched platforms, or mobile launchers, making them highly versatile and difficult to detect or intercept.
DETERRENCE: Because of their capability to deliver devastating nuclear payloads over great distances, ICBMs are a critical component of the nuclear triad—a strategy used by major nuclear powers (such as the US, Russia, and China) to deter attacks by having a second-strike capability.
$162 million a piece
“It’s a very dangerous position that the outgoing administration is taking,” Peskov said of the US decision, according to Tass. “There is a new escalation happening.”
Members of President-elect Donald Trump’s circle have taken a similar stance, criticising the Biden administration’s approach as leading to a spiral of escalating attacks.
An ICBM would be an expensive way to cause damage. The cost of the US Air Force’s new Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile, developed to replace the 1970s-era Minuteman, has risen to as much as $162 million apiece, Bloomberg News reported earlier this year.
An industrial facility was damaged in Dnipro, according to regional governor Serhiy Lysak, while other reports said that a rehabilitation centre for veterans was damaged.
Explosions were heard in the central city of Kryvyi Rih after a second nationwide alert was announced due to the threat of a new ballistic missile attack, city mayor Oleksandr Vilkul said on Telegram. There was no information on casualties or damage.
The embassies of the US and some European Union countries in Kyiv temporarily closed on Wednesday in anticipation of a major retaliatory missile strike by Russia.
Six of seven Kh-101 cruise missiles were downed during the attack, Ukraine’s Air Force command said on Telegram. They didn’t provide additional information on the ICBM or the launch of a Kinzhal missile, another type of high-speed projectile that was used the attack, only saying they resulted in no “significant consequences,” according to the statement.
The currencies of eastern European countries close to Ukraine extended losses, with the Hungarian forint trading around the weakest in two years against the euro.
Ukraine’s dollar bonds initially gained. Despite the escalating conflict, the sovereign notes issued by the government in Kyiv have been boosted recently by investor bets that Trump’s return to the White House will bring steps toward a truce between Ukraine and Russia.
