In an aggressive increase in the ongoing conflict, Russia recently allegedly fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at Ukraine for the first time since the invasion in 2022. Ukrainian authorities report that the missile was launched from Russia’s Astrakhan region late Wednesday, targeting Dnipro, a city in Ukraine’s central-eastern region.
The missile strike led to the destruction of industrial sites and a rehabilitation center for disabled persons in Dnipro. It is not entirely clear the severity of any damages but two people were reported as having been injured. Ukraine’s Air Force stated that the attack concerned critical infrastructures and enterprises and deemed it an act of sabotage amid rising tensions in the nearly three-year conflict.
Context of Attack & Conflict
This was the first time when Russia used such a powerful and distant shot during the war. Also, the range of an ICBM may appear to be excessive in relation to a specific target within Ukraine; however, these missiles are conventionally built to deploy nuclear heads. Their use is indicative of the existence of Russian nuclear weapons and can be seen as a signal of a possibility to change the strategy or an act of an attempt to demonstrate a message of escalation.
The missile launch occurred after Ukraine used British-French Storm Shadow missiles against targets in Russia, thus fulfilling Moscow’s warning that such action would be regarded as an act of aggression. This exchange of such high-powered weaponry proves the escalating character of the conflict that exceeded 1000 days since the beginning of the Russian invasion in February 2022.
Russia’s Stance on Escalation
With the attack, President Vladimir Putin also signed the new nuclear strategy that stated Russia would consider any conventional attack on it by a nation that has nuclear friendship as a nuclear attack. This development depicts an increase in Russia’s defense status amid the ongoing war and no signs of it being called off.
Such an unprecedented measure related to the usage of an ICBM illustrates the severity of the situation and the potential further escalation of the conflict.
