Russia has reportedly launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) targeting the city of Dnipro in eastern Ukraine overnight, marking the first confirmed use of such a weapon in the ongoing war.
Details about the specific type of missile remain unclear, but Ukraine’s air force confirmed in a statement that the missile was launched from the Astrakhan region in southern Russia.
ICBMs are long-range weapons designed to strike targets thousands of kilometers away, often carrying nuclear or high-impact warheads. This development marks a significant escalation since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. Russian officials have yet to respond to reports of the missile launch.
This escalation coincides with increasing international involvement in the conflict, including the reported arrival of North Korean troops to assist Russia on the battlefield.
ICBMs, initially developed during the Cold War by the United States and the Soviet Union, have long been considered weapons of strategic deterrence. The Soviet Union’s R-7 Semyorka, tested in 1957, was the world’s first operational ICBM, symbolising the start of an arms race that continues to influence global military strategy.
