Ukraine Says Russia Fired an ICBM at Dnipro in Overnight Strike

Ukraine’s air force said on Thursday that Russia launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) toward the city of Dnipro in an overnight attack, marking what Kyiv calls a potentially unprecedented use of such a weapon in the 33-month war. The same statement said the strike, allegedly launched from Russia’s Astrakhan region, also included a Kinzhal hypersonic missile and seven Kh-101 cruise missiles. Russia has not confirmed the use of an ICBM. Ukrainian air defenses said they intercepted six of the incoming missiles but did not specify the outcome of the reported ICBM. Ballistic missiles on ICBM trajectories follow very high, arcing flights and are harder to intercept than lower-altitude cruise or ballistic missiles, a technical factor that would complicate defense efforts if the claim is verified. Local authorities in Dnipro reported damage to an industrial facility and two people wounded in the strike, with regional governor Serhiy Lysak identifying the city’s industrial zone as the target. If confirmed, the use of an ICBM would represent a major escalation in a conflict that has already seen the introduction of longer-range and higher-speed weaponry. ICBMs are typically built to travel thousands of kilometres and to carry nuclear warheads, though they can also be armed with conventional explosives. The reported strike comes days after Ukraine struck targets inside Russia using U.S. and British-supplied long-range missiles — moves Moscow had warned would be seen as a serious escalation. The development also arrives against a backdrop of recent shifts in Russian nuclear policy. President Vladimir Putin this week approved changes to Russia’s nuclear doctrine that analysts say lower the threshold for the possible use of nuclear weapons, heightening international concern about miscalculation. Kyiv and its Western partners have repeatedly warned that any broadening of the war’s horizons risks destabilising regional and global security. Western governments and NATO will be watching the reports closely, diplomats and analysts say, for confirmation of the weapon type and to assess the wider strategic implications. Ukraine’s defence ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the ICBM claim, and Russia has yet to issue a public confirmation. Independent verification by international monitors and open-source analysts will be key to establishing the exact sequence and nature of the weapons used.