Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a televised address on Thursday, said Moscow struck a Ukrainian military facility with a new medium-range, hypersonic ballistic missile known as "Oreshnik" (the hazel) and warned that more could follow.
"A regional conflict in Ukraine previously provoked by the West has acquired elements of a global character," Putin said in an address to the nation carried by state television.
Russian President Vladimir Putin says the Ukrainian use of foreign weapons risks a global conflict. (AP PHOTO)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said use of the new missile amounted to "a clear and severe escalation" in the war and called for strong worldwide condemnation.
A US official said Russia notified Washington shortly before its strike, while another said the US had briefed Kyiv and allies to prepare for the possible use of such a weapon.
Kyiv initially suggested Russia fired an intercontinental ballistic missile, a weapon designed for long-distance nuclear strikes and never before used in war.
But US officials and NATO echoed Putin's description of the weapon as an intermediate range ballistic missile, which has a shorter range of 3000-5500km.
Tensions have spiked in the past several days. Ukraine fired US and British missiles at targets inside Russia this week despite Moscow's warnings that it would see such action as a major escalation.
Today, Putin admitted to taking a second step this year toward escalating and expanding this war. A new ballistic missile was used. Putin struck our city of Dnipro, one of Ukraine's largest cities. This is a clear and severe escalation in the scale and brutality of this war—a…— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 21, 2024
Zelenskiy, writing on X after Putin's television appearance, said Russia's acknowledgement it used the new weapon was another escalation after deployment of North Korean troops on Russian soil. Thursday's attack, Zelenskiy said, was "yet more proof that Russia has no interest in peace"
"The world must respond. Right now, there is no strong reaction from the world ... A lack of tough reactions to Russia's actions sends a message that such behaviour is acceptable."
A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Russia likely possesses a handful of the "experimental" missiles used in Thursday's strike.
Ukraine's air force said the missile targeted Dnipro in central-eastern Ukraine and was fired from the Russian region of Astrakhan, more than 700km away.
Russia also fired a Kinzhal hypersonic missile and seven Kh-101 cruise missiles, six of which were shot down, the Ukrainian air force said.
The attack targeted enterprises and critical infrastructure in Dnipro, the air force said. Dnipro was a missile-making centre in the Soviet era. Ukraine has expanded its military industry during the war but keeps its whereabouts secret.
Glowing projectiles could be seen plummeting to the ground from the night sky in a video published by Come Back Alive, a Ukrainian military charity. It said the video was of Dnipro overnight.
Some military experts said the missile launch could be seen as an act of deterrence by Moscow following Kyiv's strikes into Russia with Western weapons this week, after restrictions on such strikes were lifted.
Russian war correspondents on Telegram and an official speaking on condition of anonymity said Kyiv fired British Storm Shadow cruise missiles into Russia's Kursk region bordering Ukraine on Wednesday.
A Ukrainian military charity says a video showed projectiles plummeting to the ground in Dnipro. (AP PHOTO)
Russia's defence ministry, in its daily report of events over the previous 24 hours on Thursday, said air defences had shot down two British Storm Shadow cruise missiles but did not say where. Britain had previously let Ukraine use Storm Shadows only within Ukrainian territory.
Ukraine also fired US ATACMS missiles into Russia on Tuesday after US President Joe Biden gave permission, two months before he leaves office and Donald Trump returns to the White House.
Washington sources familiar with the matter said the deployment of North Korean troops to aid Russia prompted Biden's decision ahead of Trump's second presidency.
Trump has said he will end the war, without saying how, and has criticised billions of dollars in aid for Ukraine under Biden. The warring sides believe Trump is likely to push for peace talks and are trying to attain strong positions before negotiations.
