Russia’s Putin Says New Missile Strike on Ukraine in Retaliation for Western Weapons Use

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russian forces launched a new intermediate-range ballistic missile at Ukraine, citing Kyiv’s recent use of US and UK-supplied missiles in attacks on Russian territory as justification, Al Jazeera reports.

The announcement came after Ukraine reported a Russian missile strike on the city of Dnipro, claiming an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) was among those used. Local authorities in Dnipro reported an infrastructure facility was hit, resulting in two civilian injuries.

While Ukrainian authorities reported an ICBM strike, a US official, speaking to Reuters, countered that initial assessments indicated Russia used an intermediate-range ballistic missile, not an ICBM.

In a televised address, Putin stated Russia’s right to retaliate against military facilities in countries that permit attacks on Russian infrastructure. His comments follow US President Biden’s recent approval for Ukraine to utilize US-made Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) against targets within Russia.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, when questioned about the attack, emphasized Russia’s commitment to avoiding nuclear conflict, stating that Russia is working to prevent such an outcome.

The escalation in the conflict follows Ukraine’s reported use of both US-supplied ATACMS missiles and British Storm Shadow cruise missiles against targets in Russia this week. The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed the use of the British missiles. Russia has condemned these actions as provocations. The situation has also been inflamed by the opening of a new US missile defense base in Poland, which Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova described as a destabilizing action increasing the risk of nuclear conflict.