Russia fires new missile at Ukraine

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TRANSCRIPT
Russia has used a fast, powerful new missile to attack the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro.
Russian President Vladimir Putin says the use of a new medium-range ballistic missile is a response to Ukraine’s use of Western-supplied long-range missiles to strike inside Russia.
“On November 19, with six US-made ATACMS operational-tactical missiles; and on November 21, during a combined missile attack with UK-made Storm Shadow and US-made HIMARS systems, military facilities were struck in the Bryansk and Kursk regions of the Russian Federation. Since then, as we have repeatedly emphasised earlier, the regional conflict in Ukraine provoked by the West has acquired elements of a global nature.”
His statement mark the first time Russia has openly acknowledged using such a missile during the war.
The missile targeted industrial facilities in Dnipro, injuring at least two people, and causing significant damage.
Mr Putin says Russia is not ruling out using its weaponry against countries that supply weapons to Ukraine.
“We consider ourselves entitled to use our weapons against military facilities of those countries that allow their weapons to be used against our facilities. And in the event of an escalation of aggressive actions, we will respond decisively and reciprocally. I recommend that the ruling elites of those countries that are hatching plans to use their military contingents against Russia seriously think about this.”
According to the Center for Arms Control and Anti-Proliferation, the new medium-range missile used by Russia can travel between 1,000 kilometres and 3,000 kilometres.
Mr Putin says the missile used was fitted with a conventional warhead, but it is designed to carry a nuclear charge as well.
White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre says the US briefed Ukraine in recent days of the possibility of an attack by Russia, after the US approved the supply of long-range missiles for Ukraine.
She says any blame for the escalation in the conflict goes to Russia.
And she says the US has been sending hundreds of additional missiles to Ukraine to strengthen its air defence.
“The president in September, on September 29th to be more exact, he talked about surging, continuing assistance, security assistance to Ukraine. And so we’re going to continue to do that, and that is going to make sure they’re strengthening their capabilities, including air defence, and put Ukraine in the best possible position on the battlefield. And just yesterday, as I mentioned moments ago, we were able to announce another security assistance. And so that’s going to continue. And so we will not be deterred here. We are going to continue to make sure that the Ukrainians have what they need on the ground.”
The remarks have added to concern about the use of advanced Russian missile systems against civilian targets in Ukraine.
Based on the weapon’s speed and trajectory, Ukraine’s military earlier accused Russia of launching an intercontinental ballistic missile in the attack.
US officials say their initial assessment suggests it is more likely a medium-range ballistic missile.
Matthew Savill is the director of military sciences at the Royal United Services Institute in the UK.
“The reason RS-26 might lead to that uncertainty is that it was originally declared as an intercontinental ballistic missile – so a range of more than 5,500 kilometres. However, as it was developed, a lot of its trials were much shorter than that: 3,000 kilometres. And people generally assessed that it was being brought in as a sneaky way to breach the terms of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, the INF Treaty.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia’s use of the missile violates the UN Charter; and is the second serious escalation in the scale and brutality of the war, after the placement of North Korean troops in the Kursk border region.
The Russian ambassador to the UK, Andrey Kelin, told Sky News, Russia feels justified in seeking assistance from North Korea’s soldiers.
“Actually no one has provided evidence and the last statement by the Pentagon was yesterday that they have no proof about Korean troops. But even if something will happen about something like that, what’s the difference between bringing mercenaries from Poland, Colombia, whatever it is, from many countries, and this is what we are doing in accordance to article four of the agreement with North Korea.”
The United Nations have described the latest developments in the conflict as worrying, calling for peace in the region.
Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, has told reporters the launch of the ballistic missile by Russia is another step in the wrong direction.