Ukraine claims Russia used an ICBM in an attack for the first time

Ukraine on Thursday accused Russia of launching an intercontinental ballistic missile as part of an overnight attack, in what would be the first use of such a weapon during the conflict. The claim was disputed by a Western official, who said it was a ballistic missile but not an ICBM that was fired.

The Kremlin did not immediately respond to the accusation, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov referring questions to Moscow’s defense ministry. The Western official declined to further characterize the missile that was used, which they said was targeting the eastern city of Dnipro, adding that its impact was still being assessed.

ICBMs typically have a range of at least 3,400 miles, so it’s unclear why the Kremlin would allegedly use one against its neighbor. Such missiles can carry either nuclear and non-nuclear payloads.

The Ukrainian air force said that the alleged ICBM was launched from the Caspian Sea region of Astrakhan in southern Russia at Dnipro, but said it had not yet received any information about whether there had been any victims. It did not specify exactly what model of missile was used.

In a statement posted on Telegram, the air force said that Moscow had also attacked Dnipro with various missiles, that Russian aircraft had fired an air-launched ballistic missile and seven cruise missiles, and that Ukrainian forces had shot down six cruise missiles.

Serhii Lysak, the head of the Dnipropetrovsk RMI (regional military authority), said on Telegram that two people were injured in the attack on Dnipro. Meanwhile, 15 people were injured in a separate attack on the eastern city of Kryvyi Rih, Lysak said in another post.  

The ICBM’s alleged deployment comes two days after Ukrainian forces used their first long-range U.S. ATACMS missiles to strike Russian soil — a move that Moscow had long warned would be met with a significant response.

The alleged escalation in the war, which has now lasted more than 1,000 days, follows President Vladimir Putin’s latest nuclear saber rattling.

The Russian leader revised his country’s nuclear doctrine — a document detailing the conditions under which Moscow would consider using nuclear weapons — earlier this week, with the change justifying a nuclear strike by Russia if attacked by a nonnuclear country that is supported by a nuclear state.

Analysts have urged caution in interpreting Putin’s alleged deployment of an ICBM for the first time.

Using such a missile “in a conventional role does not make a lot of sense because of their relatively low accuracy and high cost. But this kind of a strike might have a value as a signal,” said nuclear forces expert Pavel Podvig.

“I would urge people to keep calm, not assume automatically that “intercontinental” is something inherently and immediately dangerous. But it should be taken seriously,” said Podvig, a senior researcher at the U.N. Institute for Disarmament Research, in a post on X.