A new level reached in the escalation around the conflict in Ukraine. The Russian president confirmed the firing of a latest generation missile on the city of Dnipro, during a televised speech Thursday, November 21. While denying kyiv's accusations that it was a long-range, intercontinental projectile, Vladimir Putin threatened a response against the countries “who authorize the use of their weapons against our installations”, evoking a globalization of the conflict. Here is what we know about this “new worrying development”, as the spokesperson for the UN Secretary General described it.
“A non-nuclear hypersonic ballistic missile” called “Oreshnik”
During his address to the Nation lasting less than ten minutes, Vladmir Putin therefore provided details on the firing Thursday of a new type of missile in Dnipro, in central Ukraine. “The Russian Federation attacked with a non-nuclear hypersonic ballistic missile”of medium range, declared the Russian president, specifying that it was a “missile test” baptized “Oreshnik” aiming “a site of the Ukrainian military-industrial complex”. The Kremlin leader went on to emphasize that these latest Russian missiles attacked their targets at a speed of 2 to 3 km per second, and that current air defense systems were incapable of intercepting them. And to ensure that Ukrainian civilians would be informed in advance when such missiles will be used in the future.
The extent of the damage after the Russian ballistic missile was fired in Dnipro was not immediately clear. Two people were injured in the area by Russian strikes, according to regional governor Serguii Lyssak.
The spokesperson for Russian diplomacy, Maria Zakharova, was ordered not to comment on this subject. She was interrupted in the middle of a live briefing by a phone call, her interlocutor asking her to “do not comment” the strike “ballistic missiles” on the Pivdenmach satellite manufacturing plant, located in the center of Dnipro.
Briefing de Maria Zakharova
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(TELEGRAM)
According to the Telegram Rybar channel, close to the Russian army, it is precisely this factory, formerly called “Youzhmash”, which was targeted by the missile.
A response to strikes carried out by Ukraine using American and British missiles
In this speech, Vladimir Putin denounced the two strikes carried out in recent days by Ukraine on Russian territory using American ATACMS and British Storm Shadow missiles. The President of the United States Joe Biden, who had long refused to do so, authorized these strikes on Russian territory with American weapons on Sunday.
“From the moment when [ces missiles ont été tirés sur la Russie]and as we have emphasized many times [au préalable]the conflict provoked by the West in Ukraine has taken on the elements of a (conflict) of a global nature”declared the Russian president. “We consider ourselves within our rights to use our weapons against the military installations of countries that authorize the use of their weapons against our installations”warned Vladimir Putin again, insisting that Russia was “ready for everyone” the storyline and “réagira[it] in a resolute manner to this escalation”.
According to the Kremlin spokesperson quoted by Russian news agencies, Russia had warned the United States 30 minutes before its missile launch. At the Pentagon, deputy spokesperson Sabrina Singh confirmed that Washington had been “briefly informed before launch” of the missile by Moscow via “nuclear risk reduction channels”.
The act of a “crazy neighbor” who uses Ukraine as a military “testing ground”, according to Volodymyr Zelensky
Ukraine had earlier accused Russia of hitting it in Dnipro using a missile with “all” the characteristics of an intercontinental missile, devoid of its nuclear warhead, which has a range of more than 5,500 km. This would have constituted a first in history and an unprecedented escalation of the war and Russian-Western tensions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the shooting was an act of “crazy neighbor” who uses Ukraine as “testing ground” military. He called on the international community to “react”.
Even before the confirmation of this shot by Vladimir Putin, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs had denounced an event “extremely serious”. The European Union and London had stressed that this would constitute “an escalation” from Moscow.
The threat of nuclear conflict stirred up by the Kremlin
The United States has assured “not seek war with Russia” and instead accused her of “provoke escalation”. “The major escalation is that Russia is turning to another country”hammered White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierrein reference to the North Korean military now fighting against Ukraine in Russia. At the Pentagon, deputy spokesperson Sabrina Singh assured that the United States would not “were not looking for a wider regional conflict” a Europe.
Asked about Vladimir Putin's statements, Sabrina Singh replied that “of course we take the rhetoric coming out of Russia seriously”. Elle however reaffirmed that the United States had not “no reason” to modify their nuclear doctrine after Russia had extended the possibility of using atomic weapons.
Russia has strengthened its nuclear warnings in recent days. According to its new doctrine on the use of nuclear weapons, made official on Tuesday, Russia can now use them in the event of an attack “massive” by a non-nuclear country but supported by a nuclear power, a clear reference to Ukraine and the United States. The Kremlin, however, assured Thursday that Russia will “maximum effort” to avoid a nuclear conflict.
