By The Moscow Times | Created at 2024-11-21 17:50:15 | Updated at 2024-11-21 22:52:36
5 hours ago
Russia launched a hypersonic ballistic missile at Ukraine overnight in response to Kyiv being granted permission to strike Russia with U.S. and British long-range missiles, President Vladimir Putin said Thursday, refuting Kyiv's earlier assertion that Moscow had used an intercontinental ballistic missile.
“In response to the use of American and British long-range weaponry on November 21, the Russian Armed Forces conducted a combined strike on a Ukrainian defense industry facility,” Putin said in televised comments.
“Among the operations carried out was the testing of one of Russia's latest medium-range missile systems. In this case, a ballistic missile equipped with a non-nuclear hypersonic warhead was used,” Putin said.
“Russian missile operators named the system ‘Oreshnik.’ The tests were deemed successful, with the target being hit as intended,” Putin added.
His comments came hours after Kyiv accused Russia of using an ICBM for the first time in the war amid a wider overnight missile attack on the city of Dnipro.
Western officials later cited in media reports disputed Kyiv’s claim, saying that the overnight attacks on Ukraine had used ballistic missiles only.
“I repeat, the combat testing of the Oreshnik missile system is being conducted by us in response to NATO's aggressive actions against Russia,” Putin said.
“We consider ourselves justified in using our weapons against military targets in those countries that allow their weapons to be used against our facilities. In the event of an escalation of aggressive actions, we will respond decisively and accordingly,” he continued.
This week Putin signed off on lowering the threshold for using nuclear weapons in Russia’s updated nuclear doctrine, a move widely seen as retaliation for Washington allowing Ukraine’s military to strike targets inside Russia with long-range weapons it supplied.
This story is being updated.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Continue
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.
