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Russia launched a new missile toward Dnipro, Ukraine, on Thursday.
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Reuters reporter was among the first journalists to see missile debris
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Ukraine says missile reached speed of 13,000 km/h
Written by Tom Balmforth
Nov. 24 – Ukrainian investigators are examining the remains of a new Russian intermediate-range ballistic missile fired into the city of Dnipro on Thursday, but they doubt such a powerful weapon was ever used in war. This is my first time.
Reuters was among a small group of reporters allowed access to the missile wreckage on Sunday. Reporters were asked not to reveal the exact location of the scene for safety reasons.
The charred and crumbled pieces were lined up in a hangar at a weapons forensics facility. Ukrainian experts are studying such debris to gain insight into the Russian military’s supply chains, production, and how it develops countermeasures.
Russia named the missile Oreshnik and said it would be impossible for its air defenses to intercept it. Ukraine said on Thursday that the weapon reached a top speed of more than 13,000 kilometers per hour while flying toward Dnipro.
Medium-range ballistic missiles have a range of up to 5,500 kilometers.
Two state experts gave a cautious assessment, saying only that the weapon was ballistic, traveled along a ballistic trajectory, and that the attack caused civilian casualties. They declined to take questions or give their last names.
“These are preliminary conclusions, and we need to take time to carefully examine the missile debris before we can say anything more concrete,” said Ivan, one of the experts.
“This is the first time that such missile remains have been found on Ukrainian territory,” said Ole, an investigator with Ukraine’s Security Service.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called the use of the weapon a serious escalation and urged allies to respond. Ukraine initially said the weapon appeared to be an intercontinental ballistic missile.
Later, the Kremlin announced that it had fired new intermediate-range missiles at Ukrainian military targets in Dnipro, in response to Kiev, which had attacked Russia with American and British missiles for the first time since US approval.
The US military said the missile’s design is based on the longer-range RS-26 Lebezi intercontinental ballistic missile. The new missile was for experimental purposes, and Russia likely only had a few in its possession.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that Moscow continues to test the missile in combat and has a usable inventory.
There are many unknowns at this point, including the extent of damage caused by the missile. Ukraine rarely discloses damage to military targets for fear that such information would help Russia.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to the text.
