Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday fired a long-range weapon provided by the United States and Britain for Ukraine to attack targets inside Russia, in a stark warning to Western countries supplying weapons to Ukraine. In response, the United States announced that it had ordered an attack on Ukraine using a new type of intermediate-range ballistic missile. .
Putin said in a televised address that the attack was a “test” for new weapons and that Russia reserves the right to attack countries that provide weapons to Ukraine for attacks on Russian territory. Ta.
Defense Department Deputy Spokesperson Sabrina Singh told reporters that the missile is a new experimental intermediate-range ballistic missile based on the RS-26 Lubezi intercontinental ballistic missile design.
“This was certainly a cause for concern because it was a new type of lethal capability that was deployed on the battlefield,” Singh said.
He said Russia used nuclear risk reduction communication channels to notify U.S. officials of the impending attack. Missiles can carry conventional or nuclear warheads.
In his speech, President Putin warned countries sending weapons to Ukraine that Russia could also target them.
“We believe that we have the right to use weapons against military installations of countries that allow the use of weapons against our own installations,” Putin said, according to the Associated Press.
Russia also has a number of other, less sophisticated weapons that could have hit targets in eastern Ukraine without the use of strategic weapons. Analysts say that by using medium-range missiles that can hit Ukraine far away and carry nuclear warheads, Russia was sending a warning signal to Ukraine, Washington and other NATO allies.
Intermediate-range ballistic missiles have a range of less than 3,500 miles. Intercontinental ballistic missiles have a range of more than 3,500 miles and were developed by both the Soviet Union and the United States during the Cold War as part of their respective nuclear arsenals.
Biden administration officials have briefed Ukraine and other allies in recent days about Russia’s potential use of new weapons to aid in preparations, U.S. officials said.
But U.S. officials said Russia cannot bully Ukraine, the United States or other countries into helping Kiev prevent a Russian military invasion.
“Russia may use this capability to intimidate Ukraine and its supporters or seek intelligence attention, but it is unlikely to be a game-changer in this conflict.” officials said.
The administration plans to continue sending air defense systems, ammunition and other military equipment to Ukraine until the end of President Joe Biden’s term, officials said.
The news comes as the Ukrainian military uses the first long-range missile from the US and UK to attack mainland Russia after the US government and its allies lifted restrictions on Kiev. The Russian government has long warned that a major backlash is expected.
President Vladimir Putin this week lowered the standards for using his country’s nuclear weapons, a move Western officials dismissed as the latest example of Russia rattling its sabers in a war that has lasted more than 1,000 days.
“Using Ukraine as a training ground”
Earlier on Thursday, Ukraine accused Moscow of firing an intercontinental ballistic missile into eastern Dnipro in a nighttime attack, which would be the first recorded use of an intercontinental ballistic missile in the active conflict and recent escalation by the Kremlin. It was.
However, U.S. officials disputed this explanation, and President Putin himself later came forward and identified the weapon as an intermediate-range ballistic missile.
Serhiy Raisak, head of the Dnipro regional authority, said in a telegram that two people were injured. Meanwhile, another attack occurred in the eastern city of Krivi Rih, leaving 15 people injured, local authorities said.
President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday formally revised his country’s nuclear doctrine – a document detailing the conditions under which the Russian government would consider using nuclear weapons – to protect Russia from attack if it were attacked by a non-nuclear state backed by a nuclear-weapon state. The content justified a nuclear attack by
Analysts say it is extremely unlikely that the Kremlin will ultimately choose to use nuclear weapons in a war with Ukraine, especially now that the military is advancing and the enemy is exhausted. .
The Russian military has gained momentum in recent months, gaining territory after territory, especially on the eastern front. It is also supported by thousands of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s troops, who are trying to retake occupied territory in Russia’s Kursk border region.
Western restrictions on Ukraine’s use of long-range weapons may give Kiev a boost, but despite the dire nature of the Kremlin’s rhetorical response, it will do little to change the situation on the battlefield, analysts say. said.
“At this stage of the war, the risk of Russian nuclear use is lower than before. Politics and battlefield developments favor Russia, and there is little to be gained by escalating the conflict to a nuclear level.” Alexander Volfras, head of strategy, technology and arms control at the International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank, said:
In addition to the unclear military benefits of deploying these weapons, there may also be diplomatic drawbacks.
“Using nuclear weapons risks alienating China and other non-Western countries, which are key to maintaining Russia’s war economy,” Volkhlas said in an email Wednesday. “It would also be a very precarious start to relations with the incoming Trump administration.”
