Ukraine-Russia war latest: Putin firing new ballistic missile is ‘severe escalation’ as Nato and Kyiv to meet
Zelensky urged worldwide condemnation and said the attack was proof Russia has ‘no interest in peace’
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Your support makes all the difference.Russia’s use of a new experimental hypersonic missile is a severe escalation of the conflict, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky warned.
Zelensky said the attack on Dnipro, central Ukraine, with a medium-range ballistic warhead on Thursday was “yet more proof that Russia has no interest in peace”.
Ukrainian air defence forces said the missile – which has a range of more than 3,400 miles and can be used to carry nuclear warheads – was fired from Russia’s Astrakhan region, on the Caspian Sea.
In response, Nato and Ukraine will meet in Brussels, Belgium, next week to discuss Moscow’s use of the Oreshnik missile.
“He is testing you, dear partners. He must be stopped. A lack of tough reactions to Russia’s actions sends a message that such behaviour is acceptable. This is what Putin is doing,” Zelensky said.
“Pressure is needed. Russia must be forced into real peace, which can only be achieved through strength,” he added.
Vladimir Putin said the missile travelled at 10 times the speed of sound and so could not be intercepted - allowing Russia to strike most of Europe and the west coast of the United States.
Putin says Russia fired experimental ballistic missile at Ukraine
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Nato and Kyiv to meet next week
Nato and Ukraine will meet in Brussels, Belgium, next week in response to Moscow’s use of the Oreshnik missile on Dnipro, central Ukraine.
The meeting on Tuesday of the Nato-Ukraine council will happen on ambassadorial level. It was called by Kyiv after the strike on the city of Dnipro.
Putin firing new ballistic missile is ‘severe escalation’
Russia’s use of a new experimental hypersonic missile is a severe escalation of the conflict, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky warned.
Zelensky said the attack on Dnipro, central Ukraine, with a medium-range ballistic warhead on Thursday was “yet more proof that Russia has no interest in peace”.
Ukrainian air defence forces said the missile – which has a range of more than 3,400 miles and can be used to carry nuclear warheads – was fired from Russia’s Astrakhan region, on the Caspian Sea.
“He is testing you, dear partners. He must be stopped. A lack of tough reactions to Russia’s actions sends a message that such behaviour is acceptable. This is what Putin is doing,” Zelensky said.
“Pressure is needed. Russia must be forced into real peace, which can only be achieved through strength,” he added.
What is Russia's 'Oreshnik' missile?
President Vladimir Putin said Russia had struck Ukraine with a new hypersonic medium-range ballistic missile in response to Kyiv's use of US and British missiles against Russia.
What is the missile?
Putin said "Oreshnik" (Hazel tree), one of Russia’s newest intermediate-range missiles, was a hypersonic ballistic missile.
He said it travelled at 10 times the speed of sound and so could not be intercepted. Russian sources said the range was 5,000 km (3,100 miles), allowing Russia to strike most of Europe and the west coast of the United States.
It appears to have multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles: separate warheads able to hit different targets.
Anatoly Matviychuk, a Russian military expert, said it could carry six to eight conventional or nuclear warheads, and was probably already in service, according to Yuri Podolyaka, a prominent Ukrainian-born, pro-Russian military blogger.
The Pentagon said the missile that Russia fired was based on the "RS-26 Rubezh" intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
It said the US had been notified of the launch through nuclear risk reduction channels.
What is the RS-26?
The RS-26 is a solid-fuelled, road-mobile ballistic missile that entered development in 2008.
The US formally withdrew from the landmark 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with Russia in 2019 after saying that Moscow was violating the accord, an accusation the Kremlin denied.
The US said at the time that Russia was developing a ground-based cruise missile (known as 9M729 in Russia) that was distinct from the RS-26.
UK Foreign Secretary vows to ‘do everything that is necessary’ to help Ukraine
The Foreign Secretary has vowed to continue to “do everything that is necessary” to help Ukraine combat Russia after Vladimir Putin threatened strikes on the UK.
The Russian president used a new ballistic missile against Ukraine on Thursday, with Mr Putin claiming the use of the weapon was in response to the UK and US allowing missiles they have supplied to Ukraine to be used to strike targets in Russia.
“We consider ourselves entitled to use our weapons against military facilities of those countries that allow their weapons to be used against our facilities,” he said.
Read the full report here:
Foreign Secretary vows to ‘do everything that is necessary’ to help Ukraine
The head of the UK’s armed forces, Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, met Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv to discuss the war on Thursday.
UK Home Secretary says ‘we will continue’ to see ‘aggressive language’ from Putin
The Home Secretary has said that "we will continue" to see "aggressive language" from Vladimir Putin.
Asked about the Russian leader's threat to use weapons against nations that allow their own weapons to be used against Russia, Yvette Cooper told Sky News this morning: "Russia invaded a sovereign state.
"We have seen the aggressive, blustering tone and response from Putin all the way through this, it's completely unacceptable, and we will continue to see that sort of aggressive language.
"We are clear that that sort of behaviour cannot be tolerated, and that's why we have provided the support to Ukraine as they defend themselves against Putin's aggression."
Ms Cooper also declined to officially confirm whether British weapons had been used by Ukraine in Russia, saying: "I'm not going to comment on the detail of any individual defence operations."
Zelensky hits out at ‘insane neighbour’ Russia as he claims Putin is ‘searching world for more weapons’
Volodymyr Zelensky has spoken for the first time after Russia is understood to have fired intercontinental ballistic missiles within Ukraine.
In a video, shared on, Zelensky marked Ukraine’s Day of Dignity and Freedom, by labelling Russia an “insane neighbour” who despises “dignity and freedom”.
Zelensky claimed Russia and leader Vladimir Putin are “ that terrified” of Ukraine they are “searching the world for more weapons”.
Zelensky also claimed Putin is using Ukraine as a “testing ground”, before thanking those who are helping his country fight the war against Russia.
Zelensky calls Russia ‘insane neighbour’ as it is ‘searching world for more weapons’
Volodymyr Zelensky has spoken for the first time after Russia is understood to have fired intercontinental ballistic missiles within Ukraine. In a video, shared on X on (21 November), Zelensky marked Ukraine’s Day of Dignity and Freedom, by labelling Russia an “insane neighbour” who despises “dignity and freedom”. Zelensky claimed Russia and leader Vladimir Putin are “ that terrified” of Ukraine they are “searching the world for more weapons”. Zelensky also claimed Putin is using Ukraine as a “testing ground”, before thanking those who are helping his country fight the war against Russia.
Putin sends warning to ‘ruling elites’ after Russia tests new missile in Ukraine strike
Vladimir Putin sent a warning to “ruling elites” and confirmed Russia has tested a new intermediate range missile in a strike on Ukraine.
In a nationwide TV address on Thursday (21 November), the Russian president added that Moscow could use it against countries that allowed Kyiv to use their missiles to strike Russia.
Mr Putin said Thursday’s strike on Ukraine was in response to Ukrainian strikes on the Russian territory in which US and British missiles were used earlier this week.
Putin sends warning to ‘ruling elites’ after Russia tests new missile in Ukraine
Vladimir Putin sent a warning to "ruling elites" and confirmed Russia has tested a new intermediate range missile in a strike on Ukraine. In a nationwide TV address on Thursday (21 November), the Russian president added that Moscow could use it against countries that allowed Kyiv to use their missiles to strike Russia. Mr Putin said Thursday's strike on Ukraine was in response to Ukrainian strikes on the Russian territory in which US and British missiles were used earlier this week.
Putin says Ukraine war is going global
Ukraine war was escalating towards a global conflict after the United States and Britain allowed Ukraine to hit Russia with their weapons, Vladimir Putin said yesterday in his address as he warned the West that Moscow could strike back.
Russia, Mr Putin said, had responded to the use of US and British missiles by firing a new kind of hypersonic medium-range ballistic missile at a Ukrainian military facility. More could follow, Mr Putin warned. He said civilians would be warned ahead of further strikes with such weapons.
The United States, he said, was pushing the world towards a global conflict.
'Ukraine’s use of Storm Shadow missiles will not turn war’
The West relaxing restrictions on Ukraine’s use of long-range weapons may boost Kyiv but will likely do little to transform the battlefield situation, analysts said, despite the dire nature of the Kremlin’s rhetorical reaction.
“At this stage in the war, the risk of Russian nuclear use is lower than before. Political and battlefield developments favour Russia, so there is little to gain by escalating the conflict to the nuclear level,” said Alexander Bollfrass, head of strategy, technology and arms control at the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank.
He also pointed to the diplomatic drawbacks.
“Nuclear weapons use would risk alienating China and other non-Western countries whose support or neutrality is key to maintaining the Russian war economy,” Bollfrass told NBC News in an email Wednesday. “It would also get the relationship with the incoming Trump administration off to a very dangerous start.”
Putin says Russia fired experimental ballistic missile at Ukraine
Vladimir Putin has claimed Moscow launched a new hypersonic ballistic missile against Ukraine in response to strikes by Kyiv inside Russia using UK and US long-range missiles.
The Russian leader said the Oreshnik, or Hazel, medium-range missile had been used in some of its latest strikes. Earlier, Ukraine’s air force said Russia had fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in an attack on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro – the first recorded use of the weapon during the war.
Ukrainian air defence forces said the missile – which has a range of more than 3,400 miles and can be used to carry nuclear warheads – was fired from Russia’s Astrakhan region, on the Caspian Sea. However, American officials said an initial US assessment indicated the strike was carried out with an intermediate-range ballistic missile which cannot travel so far, something backed by Putin’s remarks.
Alex Croft reports:
Putin says Russia fired experimental ballistic missile at Ukraine
It comes after Russian foreign ministry says a United States anti-missile base in Poland is now ‘a priority target’
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