Ukraine Says Russia Used an ICBM as War Ratchets Up Further
- Russia launched ICBM from its Astrakhan region, Ukraine says
- Oil jumps, European futures fall on news about strike
(Bloomberg) -- Russia launched an intercontinental ballistic missile at the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro, according to Ukraine’s Air Force command, in what would be a further major escalation of hostilities and an alarming signal to Kyiv’s Western backers.
The strike, if confirmed, would appear to be the first use of an ICBM in combat since the weapon was developed at the inception of the Cold War. The missile was launched from Astrakhan by the Caspian Sea, a distance of more than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles), according to Ukraine.
Oil and gold rose and stocks fell on news of the ICBM’s use, which came as part of a larger missile barrage targeting central Ukraine early on Thursday.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov referred questions about the launch of an ICBM to Russia’s Defense Ministry, while separately saying that Moscow takes a “responsible position” to avoiding nuclear conflict, the state-run Tass news agency reported.
The launch of an ICBM, which has a range of more than 5,000 kilometers and is primarily designed to deliver nuclear weapons, would mark a significant step up in Moscow’s attacks and send a stark signal to Kyiv’s allies after Ukraine used US and UK long-range missiles on Russia.
Meanwhile, President Vladimir Putin has lowered the threshold for the use of Russia’s nuclear arsenal as President Joe Biden reversed course and allowed Ukraine to use US-supplied ATACMS missiles to strike Russia. Ukraine also used UK-made Storm Shadow missiles against Russian targets.
“It’s a very dangerous position that the outgoing administration is taking,” Peskov said of the US decision, according to Tass. “There is a new escalation happening.”
Members of President-elect Donald Trump’s circle have taken a similar stance, criticizing the Biden administration’s approach as leading to a spiral of escalating attacks.
An ICBM would be an expensive way to cause damage. The cost of the US Air Force’s new Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile, developed to replace the 1970s-era Minuteman, has risen to as much as $162 million apiece, Bloomberg News reported earlier this year.
