Russia’s missile ‘warning’ to Ukraine, West

PARIS, France (AFP) — Russia on Thursday fired an experimental missile at Ukraine in a clear warning of its capabilities, officials from Western governments said, even as they pushed back against Ukrainian claims of a more provocative action by Moscow.

Ukraine initially accused Russia of firing an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in combat for the first time in history.

But a US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Russia had not fired an ICBM but rather an “experimental” medium-range ballistic missile.

In an address late Thursday, President Vladimir Putin confirmed Russia had used a new, experimental “hypersonic” medium-range ballistic missile named “Oreshnik” (“Hazel”) in an attack on Dnipro.

In what analysts said was intended as a warning to the countries arming Ukraine, the Russian leader hinted the missile was capable of unleashing a nuclear payload.

What was fired?

As their name suggests, ICBMs are capable of striking one continent from another, with a range of at least 5,500 kilometers.

Intermediate-range missiles by contrast typically have a reach of between 3,000 and 5,500 kilometers — still long enough to make good on Putin’s threat of striking the West.

In his speech, the Kremlin leader said Russia had tested one of its “newest intermediate-range missile systems in combat conditions. In this case, a ballistic missile with a non-nuclear hypersonic configuration.”

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov said Moscow had informed Washington of the missile’s launch half an hour before it was fired through an automatic nuclear de-escalation hotline, in remarks cited in state media.

While not naming the missile used or giving technical specifications, the US official said Russia “likely possesses only a handful of these experimental missiles.”

Deadly strikes

Meanwhile, Russian strikes killed at least two people in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy, the acting mayor said Friday.

“Several massive explosions occurred in Sumy,” Artem Kobzar said in a video message on Telegram, adding that at least two people had died.

He said air defenses were still working as of just before 6:00 a.m. local time and warned residents to stay away from windows.

The Sumy regional military administration said a residential neighborhood had been struck by a Russian unmanned aerial vehicle, adding that rescue operations were underway.

It confirmed the two deaths and said that 12 people had been injured.

Sumy lies across the border from Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops captured swathes of territory after launching a major ground offensive in August.