Russia launches intercontinental ballistic missile to attack Ukraine, says Kyiv

KYIV (Reuters) – Russia launched a missile from the southern region of Astrakhan during its attack on Ukraine early on Thursday, Kyiv’s military said, the first time Russia has used such a long-range missile in wartime.

The strike comes after Ukraine used US and British missiles to attack targets inside Russia this week, in what Moscow has warned for months would be seen as a major escalation.

The Russian airstrike targeted businesses and critical infrastructure in the central eastern city of Dnipro, the air force said, at the height of Russia’s 33-month war in Ukraine.

It was not clear from the statement whether the intercontinental ballistic missile was intended to cause the damage.

The missiles have a range of thousands of kilometers and can be used to deliver warheads, although they can have conventional warheads.

The Ukrainian Air Defense Forces shot down six Kh-101 missiles during the attack.

“In particular, an intercontinental ballistic missile was launched from the Astrakhan region of the Russian Federation,” the air force said, describing the types of weapons used in the attack.

It did not say what type of intercontinental ballistic missile was fired.

(Reporting by Anastasia Malenko and Tom Balmforth; Editing by Bernadette Baum)