Ukraine says Russia launched intercontinental missile in attack for first time in war

Ukrainian firefighters work on a spot following an air-attack in Dnipro, on Thursday. Pic/AFP

Ukraine says Russia launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) overnight targeting Dnipro city in the central-east of the country, which, if confirmed, would be the first time Moscow has used such a missile in the war.

According to news agency AP, Ukraine's air force released a statement on Thursday on the Telegram messaging app over the attack. While the statemenent did not specify the exact type of missile, it was informed that the attack took place from Russia's Astrakhan region, which borders the Caspian Sea.

An intercontinental ballistic missile was fired at Dnipro city along with eight other missiles, and that the Ukrainian military shot down six of them, the statement further read, according to AP.

Two people suffered injuries in the alleged attack by Russia, while an industrial facility and a rehabilitation centre for people with disabilities were damaged, local officials stated.

While the range of an ICBM would seem excessive for use against Ukraine, such weapons are designed to carry nuclear warheads, and the use of one would serve as a chilling reminder of Russia's nuclear capability and a powerful message of potential escalation.

According to AP, the attack comes two days after Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a revised nuclear doctrine that formally lowers the threshold for the country's use of nuclear weapons. Ukraine on Tuesday fired several American-supplied longer-range missiles and reportedly fired the Storm Shadows, which are made by the United Kingdom, on Wednesday into Russia.

Shot down 2 British-made missiles, 6 US-made rockets and 67 drones: Russia

On Thursday, the Russian Defence Ministry stated that its air defence systems shot down two British-made Storm Shadow missiles, six United States-made HIMARS rockets, and 67 drones. The announcement came in the ministry's daily roundup regarding the military actions in Ukraine.

However, the statement did not specify when or where the attack happened or what the missiles were targeting. This is not Moscow's first public announcement of the shooting down of Storm Shadow missiles, as Russia earlier reported downing some over the annexed Crimean Peninsula.

The developments come as the war has taken on a growing international dimension with the arrival of North Korean troops to help Russia on the battlefield, a development that US officials said prompted President Joe Biden's policy shift on allowing Ukraine to fire longer-range US missiles into Russia. The Kremlin responded with threats to escalate the attacks further.

Putin has previously warned the US and other North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies that allowing Ukraine to use Western-supplied longer-range weapons to hit Russian territory would mean that Russia and NATO are at war.

Apart from this, the new nuclear doctrine also allows for a potential response by Moscow even to a conventional attack on Russia by any country that is supported by a nuclear power.

While the doctrine envisions a possible nuclear response by Russia to a conventional strike, it is formulated broadly to avoid a firm commitment to use nuclear weapons and keep Putin's options open.

(With AP inputs)