Vladimir Putin raises the specter of a “global” conflict after launching a new weapon on Ukraine

The response was not long in coming. While Ukraine struck, for the first time, Russian territory with long-range missiles supplied by the United States (ATACMS) and the United Kingdom (Storm Shadow), respectively on Monday November 18 and Wednesday November 20, the Kremlin took Ukraine and its allies by surprise.

Unprecedented in an era where the threat of nuclear weapons remains constant, the Kremlin decided to fire, this Thursday, November 21, a medium-range ballistic missile (IRBM) on the city Dnipro, located in the east of the Ukraine. Called “Orechnik”, the weapon in question is – in principle – designed exclusively to transport a nuclear warhead. This therefore represents a first use for such military equipment (which can hit a target up to 5,500 km away), until now confined to testing and not to the war field.

A “crazy neighbor”

With this strike, Russian President Vladimir Putin sends a signal to Western countries, which he does not exclude from striking in the future, estimating in a brief speech (less than ten minutes), broadcast on Russian television this Thursday 21 November, that the ongoing conflict on Ukrainian territory was now a war « world ». In response, Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, called Russia a « crazy neighbor »which uses Ukraine and its inhabitants as « testing ground ».

Faced with a high risk of disagreement – ​​and therefore of a feverish escalation leading to the use of nuclear weapons – Russia has notified the United States of its intention « thirty minutes before launch »declared Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Kremlin. What the White House confirmed through the voice of Sabrina Singh, spokesperson for the Pentagon, the headquarters of the United States Defense: “The United States was briefly pre-notified prior to launch through nuclear risk reduction channels. »

Ukraine was reportedly warned several days ago of the possible strike of a medium-range ballistic missile by the White House, which believes that Russia only has a limited number of such weapons. The attack nonetheless remains unprecedented, as the Kremlin has never claimed to possess such equipment.

With yet another level exceeded in just a few days, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues to descend into renewed violence. This Thursday, November 21, Volodymyr Zelensky called on the world to « react »he who sees in this shot the « proof that Russia absolutely does not want peace ». The United States, for its part, turned the rhetoric used by Vladimir Putin against him, declaring that « It’s Russia that’s provoking the escalation”.

Climbing versus climbing

At issue: the presence of several thousand North Korean soldiers on the Ukrainian front. A sending of troops made possible by the ratification of a “defense treaty” by the governments of Pyongyang and Moscow on November 11. Same story from France, which considers that the Kremlin must « reconsider » his position on the involvement « escalatory » of North Korea in the conflict, underlines Sébastien Lecornu, the Minister of the Armed Forces.

The Russian authoritarian leader, who – a rare occurrence since the start of the conflict – had disappeared from public life for around ten days, remains firm in his position: « In the event of an escalation of aggression, we will respond equally strongly and symmetrically. » Russia's use of this new missile « will change neither the course of the conflict nor the determination of NATO allies to support Ukraine »tempered Farah Dakhlallah, a spokesperson for the Atlantic Alliance, on Thursday evening. She adds: « Russia seeks to terrorize the civilian population in Ukraine and intimidate those who [la] support. »

Germany, long requested by Volodymyr Zelensky to supply its own cruise missiles, the Taurus, still refuses. Each camp thus carefully observes the aid provided to the one opposite, at the risk of reaching yet another level.