Russia fired a ballistic missile into Ukrainian territory on Thursday. President Vladimir Putin spoke of a new “global character” of the invasion of Ukraine.
Published at 3:09 p.m.
What type of missile was fired by Russia?
Russia fired an “experimental medium-range ballistic missile” in the Dnipro region of Ukraine, and not an intercontinental missile, a senior American official said in a statement sent to AFP on Thursday.
A ballistic missile is propelled in the first part of its flight, then follows a curve under the influence of gravity. An intercontinental missile, on the other hand, is a type of ballistic missile capable of covering very significant distances, often beyond 5,500 km. An intercontinental missile can cross entire continents or oceans.
Until now, an intercontinental ballistic missile has never been used in war, so its use in the conflict by Russia would have represented a first. Intercontinental ballistic missiles are designed to have the capability of carrying nuclear warheads.
Why did Russia use this weapon?
Russia said it acted in response to Washington's decision to allow Kyiv to fire long-range US missiles into Russian territory. The Kremlin had presented this as a “red line” not to be crossed and which would lead to consequences.
Washington had argued that helping Ukraine defeat Russia as quickly as possible was a more important goal than trying to satisfy the Kremlin's demands. Ukraine's large-scale aggression has now lasted 33 months.
What did Vladimir Putin say?
In a short televised address Thursday evening, the Russian president estimated that the conflict in Ukraine had taken on a “global character,” and said he did not rule out the possibility of striking countries that supplied Kyiv with weapons recently used against the territory. Russian – which tacitly includes the United Kingdom and the United States.
According to Vladimir Putin, the missile used Thursday exceeds the speed of sound and is invincible.
“There is no way today to counter such weapons,” he continued. The missiles attack targets at a speed of Mach 10, or 2.5 to 3 km per second. The air defense systems currently available in the world and the missile defense systems created by the Americans in Europe do not intercept these missiles. This is excluded. »
What did the United States respond?
“It is Russia which is provoking the escalation” in Ukraine, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said at a press briefing on Thursday.
“The major escalation is that Russia is turning towards another country,” added Karine Jean-Pierre, in reference to the North Korean soldiers who are now fighting against Ukraine.
According to a senior American official cited by AFP, who requested anonymity, Russia “probably only has a handful of these experimental missiles”, and Ukraine “has resisted countless Russian attacks, including carried out with missiles with significantly more powerful warheads.
A NATO spokesperson said Thursday evening that Russia's use of this new missile “will not change the course of the conflict nor the determination of the allies to support Ukraine.” “Russia seeks to terrorize the civilian population in Ukraine and intimidate those who support” the country, believes Farah Dakhlallah.
How does the use of this weapon fit into the conflict?
Nick Brown, of the British private intelligence company Janes, told AFP that the Kremlin was seeking to “send a message or warning of escalation, a costly and potentially dangerous way for Russia to seek to impress” the West. .
With Agence France-Presse
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