Russia launched its first attack on Ukraine on Thursday night using an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, local media reported this morning, citing the Ukrainian armed forces. It was headed for the city of Dnipro in the east of the country. The AFP agency later wrote that it was not carrying the nuclear warhead now. According to the British BBC server, this is the first time in the war, which has been going on for three years, that Russia has deployed this type of weapon.
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13:53 November 21, 2024 Share on Facebook
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A house after the Russian attack in Dnipro (photo taken on November 21, 2024) | Photo: Mykola Synelnykov | Source: Reuters
It is not yet clear whether the impact of the missile, which took off from Russia’s Astrakhan region, caused any damage. The footage from Dnipro, where the authorities are registering two injured people, shows a fire in a residential building as well as damage to a local rehabilitation center. However, these could also have been caused by other rockets or drones, with which the Russians also struck the city at night.
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According to some Ukrainian media, Russia attacked with an RS-26 Rubezh type missile, designated SS-X-31 in the NATO code. This server eutoday.net he describes as experimental, according to him it has a range of 2,000 to 6,000 kilometers. Website of the paper Ukrainian justice stated that this type of missile can be a carrier of an atomic weapon.
But the AFP agency, citing its sources in the Ukrainian army, wrote that the ballistic missile did not carry a nuclear warhead this time.
‼️ The Ukrainian city of Dnipro became the first city in human history to be struck by an intercontinental ballistic missile. It is a historic turning point. An intercontinental ballistic missile used not on a firing range, but against a city of a million people. pic.twitter.com/TyXjY3TjFz
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) November 21, 2024
“It’s clear … that the Russians removed the nuclear warheads from the missile and fired it either as an inactive missile without any payload or possibly with some conventional warhead,” Malcolm Davis of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute told CNN.
Moscow has not yet commented directly on the attack, but the spokeswoman for Russian diplomacy, Marija Zakharova, picked up her mobile phone in the middle of today’s press conference, to which someone told her not to comment on the matter at all. At the same time, the person in question mentioned the Južmaš plant for the production of rocket and aircraft technology, which is located in the Dnipro, as the target of the attack.
‼️ During the briefing, Zakharova received a call from the Kremlin and was instructed not to comment on the strike on the Ukrainian Yuzhmash (Southern Machine-Building Plant) with an intercontinental ballistic missile. pic.twitter.com/oq5ZXSENHW
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) November 21, 2024
Storm Shadow missile attack
The Russian strike with the new type of weapon came just days after Ukraine first used long-range missiles supplied by its Western partners, mainly the American ATACMS and the British Storm Shadow, to strike deep into Russian territory. According to the media, such use was only recently authorized by the outgoing administration of US President Joe Biden after months of requests from Kyiv.
The US Embassy in Kyiv announced on Wednesday that it had received information about the threat of a possible major attack and will therefore be closed. It advised American citizens to be prepared to take shelter immediately in the event of an air raid alert. The embassies of other Western countries in the Ukrainian capital also limited their operations.
The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Thursday that Russian air defenses had shot down two British Storm Shadow missiles.
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* **Considering the potential long-term ramifications, do you believe the international community’s response to this event will be sufficient to deter similar actions in the future?**
## Open-Ended Discussion Questions based on the Article:
This article presents a complex situation with no easy answers. Here are some open-ended questions to encourage critical thinking and discussion:
**Regarding the Attack:**
* What are the potential motivations behind Russia’s use of an intercontinental ballistic missile in this attack, given the potential for escalation and international consequences?
* The article mentions that this may be the first time an ICBM has been used against a city. What does this say about the evolution of this conflict and the boundaries being eroded in modern warfare?
* Given the ambiguity surrounding the warhead, how should the international community respond to this incident? What diplomatic measures could be taken to prevent further escalation?
* What are the potential psychological and strategic implications of this attack on the Ukrainian people and their government?
**Regarding the Context:**
* How do recent events, including Ukraine’s use of long-range missiles and the US Embassy’s security warnings, contribute to the overall tension and risk of escalation in this conflict?
* How does this attack fit into the broader context of the ongoing war in Ukraine? What does it suggest about Russia’s strategy and intentions?
* What are the potential consequences of this attack for the future of the war? Will it lead to a more intense and protracted conflict, or could it potentially pave the way for dialogue and de-escalation?
**Ethical Considerations:**
* What are the ethical implications of using such a powerful weapon against a European city? Does the potential for civilian casualties outweigh any perceived military advantage?
* What responsibilities do the international community and individual nations have in preventing the further proliferation and use of intercontinental ballistic missiles?
These questions are designed to stimulate thoughtful conversation and engagement with the complex issues presented in the article. Remember, there are no right or wrong answers, but the goal is to explore different perspectives and develop a deeper understanding of this significant event.
