Kiev accuses Russia of launching intercontinental ballistic missile attack

KIEV

Kiev accused Russia of launching an intercontinental ballistic missile attack at Ukraine for the first time on Thursday but without a nuclear warhead in a new escalation of the conflict.

Ukraine said the missile had targeted the central city of Dnipro, while the Kremlin said it was doing everything possible to avoid a nuclear conflict but did not confirm it had deployed the weapon.

The Russian missile barrage on the industrial city that left two people wounded is the latest escalation since Ukraine fired Western-supplied long-range missiles on Russia.

The Ukrainian air force said in a statement that Russia in the early hours of the morning had launched several types of missiles at Dnipro, targeting critical infrastructure.

"In particular, an intercontinental ballistic missile was launched from the Astrakhan region of the Russian Federation," the statement said.

A source in the Ukrainian air force confirmed to AFP it was the first time such a weapon had been used since Russia invaded in February 2022.

The source added it was "obvious" that the missile, which is designed to carry both conventional and nuclear warheads, did not carry a nuclear charge.

Kremlin declines comment

Asked whether Moscow fired the missile, which can hit targets thousands of kilometers away, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he had "nothing to say on this topic."

The Kremlin, however, did claim it was making "maximum effort" to avoid a nuclear conflict after it updated its nuclear doctrine this week.

The new policy allows Moscow to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states and Russia said it should be seen as a warning to the West.

"We have stressed in the context of our doctrine that Russia is taking a responsible position to make maximum effort not to allow such a conflict," Peskov added Thursday.

Ukrainian air defense units downed six missiles, the air force said, without elaborating on whether the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) was among those.

The head of the wider region where the city of Dnipro is located said the Russian aerial bombardment had damaged a rehabilitation center and several homes, as well as an industrial enterprise.

"Two people were wounded — a 57-year-old man was treated on the scene and a 42-year-old woman was hospitalised," said the official, Sergiy Lysak.

Russia and Ukraine have escalated their use of deadly long-range missiles over recent days since the United States gave permission to use its ATACMS against military targets inside Russia — a long-standing Ukrainian request.

British media meanwhile reported on Wednesday that Kiev had launched UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles at targets in Russia after being given the green light from London.

The defense ministry in Moscow said its air defense systems had downed two Storm Shadows, without saying whether they were downed on Russian territory or in occupied Ukraine.

The missile escalation is coming at a critical moment on the ground for Ukraine, as its defensive lines buckle under mounting Russian pressure across the sprawling front line.

Russia also on Thursday claimed deeper advances in the war-battered Donetsk region, announcing its forces had captured another village close to Kurakhove, closing in on the town after months of steady advances.

Moscow's defense ministry said Russian forces had taken the small village of Dalne, five kilometers (three miles) south of Kurakhove.

Meanwhile, "While we're assessing the full facts it's obvious that such (an) attack would mark yet another clear escalation from the side of Putin," EU foreign affairs spokesman Peter Stano told reporters, saying the move would represent a "quantitative and qualitative change" in the war.

US to allow Ukraine to use American-made anti-personnel mines

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced Wednesday that Ukraine would be permitted to use American-made anti-personnel mines to help it slow Russia's advances on the battlefield.

During the 18th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defense Ministers’ Meeting in Vientiane, Laos, Austin told reporters that Washington’s policy shift on anti-personnel mines for Ukraine was in response to Russia’s evolving tactics.

He emphasized that the Biden administration would enable Ukraine to deploy the mines as a measure to counter Russia’s ground forces, which he described as leading the charge on the battlefield.

He said the Ukrainian army needs “things that can help slow down that effort.”

The use of anti-personnel mines has long been criticized by human rights organizations and activists due to the persistent threat they pose to civilians.

Austin also pointed out that Ukraine is already producing its own anti-personnel mines, underscoring their need to counter Russian advances, particularly in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, where Ukrainian forces have been gradually pushed back.

Unlike traditional landmines, non-persistent landmines often rely on battery power, which means they become inactive over time.

This feature is said to make them safer compared to conventional mines that can remain a danger for years.

While Russia has heavily mined occupied Ukrainian territories to block Kyiv’s counteroffensives, Ukraine has also been laying mines in some frontline areas to halt Russian progress.