Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Thursday that Moscow has tested a new intermediate-range missile during a strike on Ukraine and warned it could be used against countries supplying missiles to Kyiv. The comments were part of a televised address following escalating tensions between Russia and Western nations over Ukraine.
Putin claimed the strike was in retaliation for recent Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory using U.S. and British-made missiles. He further warned that U.S. air defense systems would be ineffective against Russia’s new missile capabilities.
“We will issue advance warnings if further strikes are planned to allow civilians to evacuate,” Putin stated, emphasizing the missile’s precision and power.
Putin’s announcement came shortly after Ukrainian officials reported an overnight missile strike on the city of Dnipro, which damaged an industrial site and a rehabilitation center for people with disabilities, wounding two people. Ukraine alleged the attack involved an intercontinental ballistic missile, but U.S. officials later identified it as an intermediate-range missile launched from Russia’s Astrakhan region near the Caspian Sea.
“Today, our crazy neighbor once again showed what he really is—and how afraid he is,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, condemning the attack.
This week, tensions reached new heights as the Biden administration approved Ukraine’s use of longer-range U.S.-supplied missiles to strike deeper inside Russian territory. Ukrainian forces reportedly launched several of these missiles into Russia earlier in the week, drawing an angry response from Moscow.
In response, Putin signed a revised nuclear doctrine allowing for the potential use of nuclear weapons in retaliation against conventional attacks supported by nuclear-capable nations. The broad language of the doctrine leaves Russia’s commitment to a nuclear response intentionally ambiguous.
Western nations, including the U.S., criticized the doctrine as “irresponsible nuclear rhetoric” and condemned Russia’s deployment of thousands of North Korean troops to assist in its war against Ukraine.
On Thursday, Russia also targeted Zelenskyy’s hometown of Kryvyi Rih, wounding 26 people and causing extensive damage to residential buildings, an administrative office, and civilian vehicles, according to regional officials.
Putin issued a stark warning that continued Western support for Ukraine could escalate the conflict further, saying such moves effectively place Russia and NATO at war.
As missile strikes continue and threats of nuclear escalation loom, the conflict shows no signs of de-escalation, with both sides digging in for a prolonged and increasingly dangerous standoff.
