Did Russia strike Ukraine with Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles today?

Kyiv/Washington/Moscow: Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy today accused Russia of using “new missiles”, claiming that all the parameters of these missiles, such as speed and altitude, matched those of an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM). “So terrified that they are already using new missiles. And they are searching the world for more weapons. First in Iran, then in North Korea. Today it was a new Russian missile,” he said.

In an address to the nation on the occasion of the Day of Dignity and Freedom celebrations in Ukraine, Zelenskyy said while expert evaluations were underway, “Obviously, Putin is using Ukraine as a testing ground”. 

In Washington, the United States Security Advisor Jake Sullivan today reiterated that the US remains committed to putting Ukraine in the “strongest possible position”. He made it loud and clear that the US will continue to take all available steps to do so from surging security assistance to imposing and fully enforcing sanctions and other restrictions on Russia’s war machine.

Sullivan announced the US would be imposing “significant” new sanctions on over 50 financial institutions to further degrade Russia’s ability to use the international financial system to fund and prosecute its “brutal” war against the people of Ukraine.  These targets include Gazprombank, Russia’s largest remaining bank not sanctioned by the United States, as well as 50 other persons and entities operating in the Russian financial sector. “Today’s sanctions will further curtail Russia’s abuse of the international financial system to help finance its war against Ukraine,” Sullivan claimed.

President Zelenskyy accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of doing whatever it took to prevent Ukraine from breaking free of his grasp. He thanked all Ukrainians, who are defending Ukraine from this evil – unwaveringly, bravely, firmly. With dignity. “This is one of the keywords for Ukraine – dignity. And it is a word that will probably never be used again to describe Russia,” he said.

There has been no response from Moscow till now about the use of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles in Ukraine today.

Russia, though, has been vocal about about US President Joe Biden reportedly permitting Kyiv to launch strikes deep into Russian territory with American ATACMS missiles, and France and Great Britain to launch their SCALP and STORM SHADOW missiles. Moscow said although it was yet unclear if these reports were based on official sources, Kyiv’s “Western curators are betting on the maximum escalation of the hybrid war unleashed against Russia, trying to achieve an illusory goal: to inflict a strategic defeat on Moscow”.

“No wonder weapon, that Zelensky and his henchmen pray to get, is capable of affecting the course of the special military operation,” Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, said in Moscow on November 18, 2024.

It may be mentioned that President Putin had clearly stated on October 25, 2024,  what “permitting” to use of NATO high-precision long-range weapons actually means. He stressed that Ukraine cannot execute such strikes on its own without using space satellites and flight assignments provided by NATO military personnel. “Kyiv’s use of long-range missiles to attack our territory would mean a direct involvement of the United States and its satellites in military operations against Russia, as well as a radical change in the essence and nature of the conflict. Russia’s response would then be adequate and significant,” Maria said.

Already Putin announced lowering the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons after Ukraine reportedly used American long-range missiles into Russian territory, although the US refused to confirm that report. “Despite what Russia says, neither the United States nor NATO pose any threat to Russia. Russia’s irresponsible and bellicose rhetoric will not do anything to improve Russia’s security,” US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said on November 19, 2024. He claimed th US had not seen any reason to adjust its own nuclear posture, “but we will continue to call on Russia to stop bellicose and irresponsible rhetoric”.