Putin says Russia fired 'hypersonic ballistic missile' at Ukraine in response to use of U.S., British weapons
Local Ukrainian officials say 2 people were injured in attack on buildings in Dnipro
Russia President Vladimir Putin says Moscow fired a new medium-range hypersonic ballistic missile at a military facility in the south-central Ukrainian city of Dnipro, in response to what he calls Western aggression after Kyiv got the green light to fire missiles deeper into Russia.
"In response to the use of American and British long-range weapons, on Nov. 21 of this year, the Russian armed forces launched a combined strike on one of the facilities of the military-industrial complex of Ukraine," Putin said Thursday in what appeared to be a pre-recorded statement.
"We have a right to use weapons against military objects of those who use weapons against us."
A U.S. official told Reuters that it was notified by Russia that it was going to launch the missile ahead of time, and that the U.S. then briefed Ukraine and its close allies that it could be used.
According to Ukrainian officials in Dnipro, two people were injured in the missile attack when it hit an industrial facility and what they described as a rehabilitation centre for people with disabilities.
Putin's remarks came hours after Ukrainian officials said that it appeared that Russia used an intercontinental ballistic missile in the attack on Dnipro.
"Today there was a new Russian missile," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video statement.
"All the characteristics — speed, altitude — are [of an] intercontinental ballistic [missile]."
Intercontinental ballistic missiles are designed to fly more than 5,000 kilometres and can carry nuclear warheads or conventional ones.
If Russia had used one against Ukraine, experts say it would have been the first use of an ICBM during the war.
According to Ukraine's air force, the missile that targeted Dnipro was fired from the Russian region of Astrakhan, more than 700 kilometres away.
'This is political signalling'
While there has not yet been official comment from Washington, U.S. sources have told media outlets that it was an experimental missile, and Russia likely only has a handful of them.
Before Putin's statement, Matthew Savill, the director of military sciences at the Royal United Services Institute in London, told BBC News that there may be some "quibbling" around how to label the missile, but he believed it was clear that Russia was trying to send a message.
"They've got plenty of missiles that are more accurate, particularly their cruise missiles," he said.
"So this is political signalling."
Putin said the test was about retaliation.
"I recommend that the ruling elites of those countries that are hatching plans to use their military contingents against Russia seriously think about this," he warned in his short statement.
The U.S. recently gave Ukraine permission to fire its ATACMS weapons system deeper into Russia, while the U.K. permitted Ukraine to do the same with its Storm Shadow missiles.
Changes to nuclear doctrine
On Tuesday in response, Russia published changes to its nuclear doctrine, which lowers the threshold for what would prompt the Kremlin to authorize a nuclear attack
Russia has not commented on Ukraine's claims that it used an ICBM. In a bizarre moment Thursday, a spokesperson for Russia's Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, answered her cellphone during a live regularly scheduled briefing.
The voice on the line could be heard telling her not to comment on the "ballistic missile strike" at the rocket company that Western media are talking about.
Instead the comments came later in the day, from the very top.
"Putin is going to keep pushing anything he can," said Glen Grant, a senior expert with the Riga-based Baltic Security Foundation who has worked with defence ministries in several countries, including Ukraine and Poland.
"If there is no statement back from the West about him using this missile, he'll do more. He's only been holding back … because he was worried we might retaliate."
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With files from Reuters