Ukraine cries war escalation as Russian ICBM launched

Two persons were injured while many buildings were damaged when a Russian ICBM was fired by the Russian forces on Dnipro, on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. Military sources from the area said that the latest attack on one of its territories is yet another step towards the escalation of the 1,000-day-old war. The sources further said that it was the first ICBM attack of its kind since the war began.

Western officials were however quick to point about the missile origins, saying that it was only a ballistic missile. Russia has meanwhile decided to keep quiet on the matter.

According to the Kyiv-based sources, the missile was fired from Astrakhan in southern Russia and they were unable to comment on the type of ICBM used in the attack. Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Heorhii Tykhyi informed that the final conclusion from the experts about the kind of Russian ICBM missile fired was awaited. He further added that the missile “had all the flight characteristics of an ICBM.”

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky opined as the Russian President was afraid, he started using new missiles. “Today, our crazy neighbor has once again shown who he really is and how he despises dignity, freedom, and human life in general,” A video posted by Zelensky to Telegram, added further that the Russian weapon had “all the characteristics: speed, altitude – of an intercontinental ballistic missile.”

The Ukrainian Army however said, “The other missiles didn’t cause significant consequences.” According to Army sources, an X-47M2 Kinzhal ballistic missile apart from seven other cruise missiles was launched, when they shot down one of them.

Opinions from many quarters on the Russian ICBM

In response to the accusations from across the border about the Russian ICBM attack, the Kremlin refused to say anything on the matter. Upon further insistence, the reporters were told to ‘ask the Russian Army,’ by Kremlin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.

In Laos, a US official attending the summit of Asian nations’ defense ministers, avoided the characterization of the kind of missile used in the latest attack. While, according to him, its impact had yet to be assessed properly, he apart from the other of the two officials at the summit insisted upon the missile being a ballistic, rather than an intercontinental one.

War of words over the Russian ICBM attack

Accusations were from the Moscow side as well, this time the justification for the Russian ICBM attack being Ukraine’s use of longer-range weapons. The Defense Ministry of the country added that its air defenses had shot down two British/French-made Storm Shadow missiles.

The origins of the missile, according to the Ministry was US-made ATACMS, fired from Ukrainian soil for the first time. Both US and UK/French-made missiles were launched by Ukraine towards Russia when earlier, US President Biden permitted their usage by Kyiv.

This has now become the ruse for the Kremlin to a probable first use of the nuclear option, should the developments of the latest attack types happen more than often. Putin has updated the country’s nuclear doctrine, which has been forced by the circumstances per se.

Often the far-off regions in Ukraine bear most of the brunt. Kyiv is protected, as the distance factor comes into play most of the time. Since the country has a limited number of patriots at its command and also the range factor has a role in the limitations that the patriot system offers.

Therefore, a vertical range of about 20 km can defend about 15-20 km around the battery, as per the research sources. The patriot system sent by the US and Germany has been manufactured in a way that destroys the incoming missiles, being fitted with the kinetic interceptors. It strikes the incoming missile directly as the Missile Threat Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies informs.

Frequent attacks on Dnipro

Home to more than 400,000 internally displaced persons, including disabled and ill, Dnipro till yesterday has been a beacon of hope for the Ukrainian citizens bedeviled by the unfortunate circumstances. Being close to the borders of Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions, the region fairly well enjoyed an air defense protection system.

Dnipro is an important region in the country as far as the normal activities in a peaceful area are concerned. Situated in the eastern part of the country, it has been facing bombings often from the Russian side. People having fled from the partially occupied Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions have taken refuge here, but it is connected fairly well with the rest of the Ukrainian regions.

It is the key point of Ukrainian resistance owing to the presence of a transport infrastructure.  

Ukrainian military administration sources from Kyiv informed that two people were injured when houses were damaged and a rehabilitation center for people with disabilities also came under attack.

An Industrial enterprise was damaged apart from two fires that erupted due to the attack according to the head of Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk military administration, Serhiy Lysak.