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Russia Launches ‘New’ Ballistic Missile At Ukraine – Reports

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New ballistic missile attack

Ukraine claims that Russia has used an ICBM to strike Dnipro; other Western sources say it was a “new” ballistic missile.

Russia launched what some reports claim was an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) toward Ukraine, the Ukrainian Air Force (UkrAF) announced on the morning of Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024.

According to the UkrAF, the missile targeted the Dnipro region, approximately 450 km from Kyiv. It was tracked alongside six additional missiles, all launched within a two-hour span starting at around 5 a.m. Of these, only the ICBM reportedly struck its target, while the other six were intercepted and shot down en route. The UkrAF did not specify the type of ICBM allegedly used but stated that Ukraine is conducting examinations to determine its characteristics. This claim has not yet been independently verified.

Several clips were shared online, all clearly show several MIRVs (multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles) impacting a target area said to be the headquarters of a Ukrainian aerospace company. A MIRV is a system used in some intercontinental ballistic missiles that allows a single missile to carry several warheads. Each of these warheads can be aimed at a different target, making the missile capable of striking multiple locations in one launch. Think of it as a rocket carrying several small packages, each with its own delivery address, allowing for greater efficiency and increased destructive potential.

In this case, they were possibly inert warheads relying on kinetic energy or very small conventional warheads, as no visible explosion can be seen.

However, an unnamed Western official told ABC News that the missile in question was not an ICBM but rather a ballistic missile. The official did not elaborate further, citing that damage assessments were still ongoing. Additionally, if the launch had been a true ICBM, Russia would have been required to provide an advance launch notification, which it did not.

According to the UK Secretary of State for Defence, it was a “new” ballistic missile whose preparations for launch were known for quite some time.

Russia has not commented on the matter so far. Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, redirected all inquiries to the Russian Ministry of Defense. Meanwhile, Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, was reportedly instructed during a news conference not to discuss the missile strike in the Dnipro region. According to CNN, a voice was overheard telling Zakharova that the topic was “forbidden to speak about—don’t comment at all.”

This incident comes a day after the UkrAF’s first use of U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles against Russian targets earlier this week. It may represent an escalating response from Russia to Ukraine’s deployment of these advanced weapons. If the missile was indeed an ICBM, it could have been intended as a message to Ukraine and the West. ICBMs are expensive and relatively inaccurate for conventional use but could serve as a demonstration of Russia’s willingness and capability to use such weapons, potentially even nuclear ones.

We will continue to update this story as more details emerge.

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