Ukraine updates: Putin says 'medium-range' missile tested

Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia's attack on Ukraine with a hypersonic missile was a "clear and severe escalation" in the ongoing war.

Zelenskyy wrote on social media that confirmation earlier in the day from Russian President Vladimir Putin of the new type of missile was further provocation.

"This is a clear and severe escalation in the scale and brutality of this war," he wrote on X. "The use of a ballistic missile against Ukraine today is yet more proof that Russia has no interest in peace."

"Putin is not only prolonging the war, he is spitting in the face of those in the world who genuinely want peace to be restored." 

Zelenskyy called for strong worldwide condemnation.

"The world must respond. Right now, there is no strong reaction from the world...A lack of tough reactions to Russia’s actions sends a message that such behavior is acceptable," he said.

Earlier on Thursday, Putin said in a television address that Russia had responded to the use of US and British missiles by Kyiv by firing a new kind of hypersonic medium-range ballistic missile at a Ukrainian military facility.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian state-run media organization TASS that Russia's National Center for the Reduction of Nuclear Danger had sent a message to the United States' equivalent body, the National and Nuclear Risk Reduction Center (NRRCC), "automatically" 30 minutes before the planned launch.

Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh confirmed the notification had taken place prior to the use of the missile.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his televised address that Russia had used a new kind of hypersonic missile known as the "Oreshnik" (hazel in English) in the strike earlier on Thursday. 

"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," he said. "In combat conditions, one of the newest Russian medium-range missile systems was tested, among other things. In this case, with a ballistic missile in a nuclear-free hypersonic equipment." 

Despite Putin speaking of "long-range" US and British weaponry, the ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles are considered short-range missiles in military parlance, with ranges that aren't even half the 1,000 kilometers necessary to classify as intermediate-range. 

What has changed, however, is the limited permission from the US and UK for Ukraine to strike certain targets slightly deeper behind the lines in Russia.

Practically speaking, neither Russia nor Ukraine need long or even intermediate-range missiles to fire at each other. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared on state television in the last few minutes, saying that the country had fired a new medium-range ballistic missile at a Ukrainian military facility. 

His comments follow Ukraine's military and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reporting the use of a "new" missile against it which they said appeared to have the characteristics of an even longer-range intercontinental ballistic missile. 

Putin called the strike a response to Ukraine using western weaponry to strike targets deeper inside Russia, following apparent authorization to do so from the US and UK. 

He said that with this development, the "regional" conflict in Ukraine "has acquired elements of a global character." 

Putin also said during the address that Russia would have the "right" to hit states whose weapons Ukraine uses to strike Russia.

Kyiv's forces have come under increasing pressure while Russia makes small and steady gains along the frontline.

DW takes a look at the state of Russian advances in recent months.

 

The US has put sanctions on Russia's third-largest bank by assets, and the largest one yet to face such measures since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. 

The publicly-traded Gazprombank — named after the national gas supplier Gazprom that is its principal shareholder — and its six foreign subsidiaries are targeted in the measure. 

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the sanctions would further diminish Russia's military effort and "will make it harder for the Kremlin to evade US sanctions and fund and equip its military." 

The Treasury Department also said that "more than 50 internationally connected Russian banks, more than 40 Russian securities registrars, and 15 Russian finance officials" would also face sanctions. 

"We will continue to take descisive steps against any financial channels Russia uses to support its illegal and unprovoked war in Ukraine," Yellen said. 

The Treasury Department described Gazprombank as "a conduit for Russia to purchase military materiel for its war effort," saying the Kremlin used it to pay soldiers, including for combat bonuses, and to compensate the families of Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine. 

The other members of the so-called "Five Eyes" English-speaking intelligence alliance — the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand — have already imposed sanctions on Gazprombank. 

DW takes a look at Ukraine's new rules on desertion as its forces struggle to maintain enough recruits to fend off Russian advances.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova was told — in a phone call during a live press briefing — not to comment on reports of a ballistic missile strike on Ukraine on Thursday.

The AFP news agency reported that an unknown male voice told Zakharova, "On the 'Yuzhmash' ballistic missile strike that the Westerners have started talking about, we are not commenting at all."

Ukrainian officials on Thursday said Russia fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at Ukrainian territory. Moscow has not commented on the accusation, which would represent a major escalation in the type of weapons it uses in its invasion of Ukraine. 

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the possible ICBM attack, saying questions about it should be instead directed to the Russian Defense Ministry.

The Russian Defense Ministry has said its forces intercepted two British-made Storm Shadow missiles but did not specify if the missiles were shot down over Ukrainian or Russian territory.

"The air defence forces shot down two British-made Storm Shadow cruise missiles, six US-made HIMARS reactive missiles and 67 drones," the Russian military said in a statement. 

Ukraine on Wednesday received authorization from the UK to fire the Storm Shadows at targets in Russia, according to media reports. The United States this week also permitted Ukraine's military to fire longer-range, US-made ATACMS at Russia. 

Russia's Foreign Ministry has said a newly opened US ballistic missile base in Poland is a "frankly provocative step" that will cause the overall level of nuclear danger to rise and that it has long been a "priority target" for Moscow.

"This is another frankly provocative step in a series of deeply destabilizing actions by the Americans and their allies in the North Atlantic Alliance in the strategic sphere," spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, in comments carried by Reuters news agency.

"This leads to undermining strategic stability, increasing strategic risks and, as a result, to an increase in the overall level of nuclear danger," she said.

Zakharova said the base "has long been added to the list of priority targets for potential destruction, which, if necessary, can be executed with a wide range of advanced weapons." 

Poland responded to the Russian statements by saying there were no nuclear weapons at the base and that it was a defensive position.

"Such threats will certainly serve as an argument to strengthen Poland's and NATO's air defenses, and should also be considered by the United States," according to Polish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pawel Wronski.

The air defense base in the town of Redzikowo, located just under 100 miles (161 km) from Russia's exclave of Kaliningrad, is the first permanent US military base in the country and was built after a long planning process in Washington.

It forms part of a broader NATO missile shield, dubbed "Aegis Ashore," which includes sites in Spain, Turkey and Romania. 

Russia has used an intercontinental ballistic missile to attack Ukraine for the first time during its ongoing invasion of its neighbor, Ukraine's military has said.

The missile was launched from Russia's southern Astrakhan region during a morning attack, the Ukrainian air force said.  

The strike on a target that has not yet been revealed comes after Ukraine used US and British missiles to strike inside Russia this week after receiving permission to do so from Washington and London.

 Moscow has warned for months that it would see such attacks as a major escalation.

An excerpt from German former-Chancellor Angela Merkel's memoir showed how she worked to slow Ukraine's NATO bid in 2008.

A passage from her upcoming book Freedom. Memories 1954 - 2021 has been published in Germany's Die Zeit newspaper. It describes a 2008 NATO summit in Bucharest, where Ukraine and Georgia's bids to join the alliance were on the agenda.

In the book, she describes her concerns over Kyiv's relationship with Russia, although then-Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko had sought closer ties to Europe. She also claims that at the time, only a minority of Ukrainians supported NATO membership, stressing the need for new NATO states to add to the overall security for all members.

Merkel has faced criticism from Ukrainians for being too hands-off in her approach to their country. She writes, however, that allowing Ukraine's membership bid to stand was a clear signal to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Ukrainians not to spread panic amid heightened tensions in the country.

The appeal came after several countries closed their embassies in Kyiv for a day due to fears about a possible Russian air attack. 

"The information frenzy that took place today, some panicked messages were passed around, all of this only helps Russia," Zelenskyy said in his evening video message on the 1,001st day of the war. 

He went on to call Russia as "insane" a neighbor as it was at the beginning of the war.

"Please take care of yourselves, support our army and be especially careful that no one manipulates your emotions for their own advantage," Zelenskyy added.

Many Ukrainians are concerned that Russia could escalate the war after Ukraine reportedly used longer-range Western missiles to strike inside Russian territory.

Zelenskyy assured citizens that the government continues to strengthen its defense, a day after the US announced a $275 million (€260 million) package which includes drones and antipersonnel mines. 

mk/sms (AP, AFP, DPA, Reuters)