[UPDATES] As per AFP, a Russian attack on Ukraine using an intercontinental ballistic missile would be "extremely serious" if confirmed, a spokesman for France's foreign ministry said.
"It's clear that if this launch is confirmed, it would be an extremely serious event and it would above all be a continuation of Russia's escalatory attitude," spokesman Christophe Lemoine said, adding that France has "not yet had confirmation" that such an attack took place.
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[UPDATES] President Zelensky reacted to the attack, saying that Russia is using Ukraine as a "testing ground."
"Today, our crazy neighbour has once again shown who he really is and how he despises dignity, freedom and human life in general. And how afraid he is," Zelensky said.
[UPDATES] As per AFP, Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova received a phone call during a live press briefing telling her not to comment on reports of a ballistic missile strike on Ukraine, video showed.
"Masha," an unknown male voice on the phone said, addressing Zakharova using a diminutive form of her first name.
"On the 'Yuzhmash' ballistic missile strike that the Westerners have started talking about, we are not commenting at all," the voice added.
[UPDATES] Russia launching an intercontinental ballistic missile at Ukraine would mark a "clear escalation" by President Vladimir Putin, the EU said.
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"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," EU foreign affairs spokesman Peter Stano told reporters.
[UPDATES] As of noon, the Ukrainska Pravda media outlet, citing its sources in the Air Force, reported that the RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental strategic ballistic missile struck Dnipro overnight.
Russia launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at Ukraine early morning on Thursday, Nov. 21, marking a significant escalation in its ongoing assault on the country.
The Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed the attack, which also included various other missile types targeting critical infrastructure.
“Between 5:00 and 7:00 a.m. on Nov. 21, Russian troops attacked the city of Dnipro, hitting enterprises and critical infrastructure,” the Air Force stated.
“The assault included an ICBM launched from Russia’s Astrakhan region, a Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aeroballistic missile fired from a MiG-31K jet in the Tambov region, and seven Kh-101 cruise missiles launched by Tu-95MS bombers near the Volgograd region.”
The Russian missile barrage on the industrial city that left two people wounded is the latest escalation since Ukraine fired Western-supplied ATACMS long-range missiles on Russia.
An intercontinental ballistic missile has a minimum range of five thousand kilometers, but some of them can cover a distance of more than nine thousand kilometers.
As of 10:30 a.m., no expert analysis has confirmed the accuracy of the information, so the details remain unverified by the Kyiv Post. If this information is confirmed, it would be the first time such a weapon had been used since Russia invaded in February 2022.
Multiple videos showing the alleged ICBM strike on Dnipro have appeared on Ukrainian and Russian Telegram channels.
One footage clearly shows how the missile splits into six warheads, with each of these warheads then splitting into six more, resulting in at least 36 submunitions.
NBC News reported that the Kremlin declined to comment, referring queries to the Russian defense ministry.
During a live press briefing on Thursday, Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova found herself momentarily distracted by an urgent phone call.
In a scene almost too perfectly staged, a male voice on the line, addressing her with "Masha," advised her: "On the 'Yuzhmash' ballistic missile strike that the Westerners are making a fuss about, we are not commenting at all."
Reports about a large-scale missile strike involving the RS-26 Rubezh had been circulating on Ukrainian social media since Nov. 20. The missile, with an alleged range of 6,000 kilometers (3,728 miles), was expected to be deployed.
However, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, HUR, dismissed many of these claims as Russian disinformation. According to HUR, the rumors were part of a psychological operation aimed at instilling panic and intimidating Ukraine and its Western allies.
The US Embassy in Kyiv issued a warning to American citizens on Nov. 20 about a possible missile strike the same day. Posted on the embassy’s website, the advisory cited “specific information” about the threat and urged US nationals to be prepared to take immediate shelter during air raid alerts.
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