Russia fires ‘nuclear capable’ ballistic missile at Ukraine

Vladimir Putinpresident

A regional conflict in Ukraine previously provoked by the West has acquired elements of a global character,

Putin said in an address to the nation carried by state television after 8pm Moscow time (0400 Friday AEDT).

Vladimir Putinpresident

I believe that the United States made a mistake by unilaterally destroying the treaty on the elimination of intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles in 2019 under a far-fetched pretext,

Putin said, referring to the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty

The RS-26 was always (a) prime candidate,

Lewis said

Sabrina Singhpentagon deputy press secretary

It could be refitted to certainly carry different types of conventional or nuclear warheads,

said Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh

It's the first time that we've seen it employed on the battlefield ... So that's why we consider it experimental,

she said

Vladimir Putinpresident

We believe that we have the right to use our weapons against military facilities of the countries that allow to use their weapons against our facilities,

Putin said in his first comments since President Joe Biden gave Ukraine the green light this month to use U.S. ATACMS missiles to strike at limited targets inside Russia

Vladimir Putinpresident

Russia reserves the right to use weapons against military targets in countries permitting strikes on Russian soil,

Putin said

Vladimir Putinpresident

In response to the use of American and British long-range weapons, on November 21 of this year, the Russian armed forces launched a combined strike on one of the facilities of the military-industrial complex of Ukraine,

Putin said

Vladimir Putinpresident

Modern air defense systems that exist in the world and anti-missile defenses created by the Americans in Europe can’t intercept such missiles,

Putin declared in an icy and menacing tone

You’re dropping multiple independently targetable warheads, MIRVs, at extremely high speed, so even Patriot will struggle to basically intercept those,

he said

While the Biden administration builds up an explosive legacy of missiles for the next tenant of the White House, Russia responded today to the many recent provocations by NATO,

Kneissl added

Karin Kneisslformer austrian foreign minister

Neither the US nor other countries of the world currently possess air defense systems capable of intercepting Russia's new hypersonic missiles,

said former Austrian foreign minister Karin Kneissl on her Telegram channel

Volodymyr Zelenskyypresident

Putin has taken both of these steps, ignoring everyone in the world who calls for de-escalation,

Zelensky said in a statement on his Telegram channel

The warning was sent in an automatic notification mode 30 minutes before the launch,

he told Russian media as reported by TASS

It is obvious that Putin is using Ukraine as a testing ground for weapons that threaten the world.”

Zelenskyy pointed to the strike as a sign of Moscow’s broader strategy, stating

The Russian Federation tested a medium-range ballistic missile, known as Oreshnik, during its operation in Ukraine,

he said

It is another example of reckless behaviour from Russia, which only serves to strengthen our resolve in terms of standing by Ukraine for as long as it takes,

a spokesman for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told reporters

This is all about the political effect. This is not about the military value,

Hoffmann told AFP

Russia can only blame itself for the consequences of its decision to attack Ukraine,

the spokesperson concluded

While we take all threats against Ukraine seriously, it is important to keep a few key facts in mind: Russia likely possesses only a handful of these experimental missiles,

the official told Fox News Digital