Russian attack: “Masha, no comment” – In the middle of the press conference, Lavrov’s spokeswoman gets a call

Following reports of the use of a Russian intercontinental ballistic missile against Ukraine, the Moscow Foreign Ministry spokeswoman was ordered not to comment on the incident during a live press conference. Maria Zakharova received a call during the briefing in Moscow on Thursday in which a male voice asked her to “not comment” on the “ballistic missile” attack on the center of the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. According to Kyiv, an intercontinental ballistic missile was used.

“Masha,” said the unknown male voice on the phone, using the pet form of Zakharova’s first name, Maria. “We are not making any comment” on the attack on “Yushmash,” which the West has begun to talk about, the man continued. The press conference was broadcast live on YouTube by the Foreign Ministry.

According to the Ukrainian army, the city of Dnipro in the central east of the country was attacked by Russia with several different missiles on Thursday morning. Russia used an intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time since its war of aggression began in February 2022. According to Russian military bloggers, the target was the satellite company Pivdenmash – formerly known as Yushmash.

According to sources in the Ukrainian Air Force, the missile was “obviously” not equipped with a nuclear warhead. The Kremlin, like the Russian army, initially made no comment on the attack.

In a later statement to the Russian state news agency Tass, Zakharova said the phone call was intended to clarify whether the Foreign Ministry was responsible for the issue. She rejected an “intrigue”.