Ukrainian military officials reported that Russia launched what they initially identified as an intercontinental ballistic missile toward southeastern Ukraine early Thursday morning, though U.S. officials later suggested it was likely an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM).
The missile was part of a larger barrage targeting Ukraine's Dnipro region, with seven total missiles launched over approximately two hours starting at 5 a.m. local time. While Ukrainian forces successfully intercepted six of the missiles, one struck the city of Dnipro.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the missile's speed and altitude parameters matched those of an ICBM, though final analysis of recovered missile fragments is still ongoing. Ukrainian military authorities expressed "95% certainty" about their ICBM assessment.
U.S. defense officials, however, believe the projectile was an IRBM, noting that the roughly 600-mile distance from the suspected launch site in Russia's Astrahan region to Dnipro falls short of typical ICBM ranges.
The missile strike comes amid escalating tensions, following Ukraine's first-ever use of U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles against targets within Russian territory earlier this week. Russia responded by modifying its nuclear doctrine, potentially lowering the threshold for nuclear weapons use.
The Kremlin has not confirmed details about Thursday's missile launch, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov directing questions to the Russian Defense Ministry. Ukrainian officials reported the missiles targeted business facilities and critical infrastructure, though no casualties or major damage were recorded.
Military experts examining video footage of the projectile suggest it appears to be "a ballistic missile with MIRV-ed capabilities." While Russian ICBMs can carry nuclear warheads, the missile used in this strike was apparently not nuclear-armed.
President Zelenskyy characterized the attack as evidence of Russian leader Vladimir Putin's fear, stating "Putin is terrified when normal life simply exists next to him... when a country simply wants to be and has the right to be independent."