(MENAFN- Live Mint) In yet another sign of the escalating war between the two countries which has been going on for over 1,000 days, Russia on Thursday fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at Ukraine, for the first time.
This is the first time Moscow has used such a missile in the war. The missile was launched at Ukraine's Dnipro city in the central-east.
The development comes just two days after Vladimir Putin signed a revised nuclear doctrine that formally lowers the threshold for Moscow's use of nuclear weapons, and warned the US and other NATO allies against allowing Ukraine to use longer-range weapons to hit Russian territory, which have been supplied by the western countries.
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Refusing to comment on the launch of an inter-continental ballistic missile at Ukraine for the first time, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he had“nothing to say” on this topic, reported AFP.
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The missile, along with eight other missiles, was launched rom Russia's Astrakhan region , which borders the Caspian Sea, said Ukraine's air force. However, AP reported that the air force did not specify the exact type of missile, but they shot down six of them.
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Reports said that two people were wounded as well as an industrial facility and a rehabilitation center for people with disabilities were damaged.
"Two people were wounded -- a 57-year-old man was treated on the scene and a 42-year-old woman was hospitalised," AFP quoted an official as saying.
However, it was not clear if the intercontinental ballistic missile caused any other damage.
What is ICBM?
- Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) are strategic weapons designed to deliver nuclear warheads.
- They can also have conventional warheads.
- They are an important part of Russia's nuclear deterrent.
- The missiles have a range of thousands of kilometres.
- ICBMs reportedly have a range between 6,000 to 9,300 miles, making a target vulnerable.
- The use would serve as a reminder of Russia's nuclear capability and a powerful message.
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