Russia reportedly uses ICBM against target in Ukraine for the first time

By Simon Newton, BFBS Forces News' Ukraine correspondent in Kyiv

In Ukraine, as snow fell overnight, so did more Russian missiles.

Russia is thought to have used an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) for the first time against a city in Ukraine.

The strike, if true, is seen as a response to President Biden's decision to allow Ukraine to use US long-range missiles against targets inside Russia.

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Reports that Moscow may have used an intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time to attack Ukraine would mean it is the first time in history that an ICBM has been used in combat. 

There was talk on social media yesterday that Russia was about to test this missile, the RS-26 Rubezh, which is capable of carrying nuclear warheads and has a range of 3,500 miles.

The question was whether this was going to just be a test launch from Astrakhan, near the Caspian Sea, or whether Moscow was going to use this in combat – perhaps as payback for the US decision to allow Ukraine to use long-range Atacms ballistic missiles inside Russia. 

What are believed to be UK Storm Shadow cruise missiles have also been seen in use to attack a target inside Russia, in the Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces have a small foothold. 

Now, there are reports from Ukraine's air force that this was a combat launch.

This saw an RS-26, along with a number of cruise and hypersonic missiles, come down in Dnipro, in the southeast of Ukraine, at around 05:00 local time. 

The ICBM reportedly covered around 600 miles in less than five minutes and that ballistic trajectory allowed it to easily evade any Ukrainian air defences.

Now, a video is said to show six re-entry vehicles, essentially warheads, coming down on Dnipro.

The video is yet to be verified and the Kremlin hasn't yet commented on this story – neither has Nato or the Pentagon. 

Ukrainian officials say the missile contained conventional warheads and hit an industrial area of Dnipro causing minimal damage. 

There was also reportedly damage to a rehabilitation centre for people with disabilities. 

So what should we make of all this?

Well, if true, if Russia has used this ICBM, then it could be interpreted as a warning to the West, showing what the Kremlin has in its arsenal. 

This ICBM was actually outlawed under a now-defunct international treaty, but there have been reports Russia was about to restart production of them. 

In Kyiv, the US Embassy has actually reopened after yesterday's closure when US officials said they had intelligence of a potential attack.

All of the events of this week are part of what's being seen as manoeuvring by all of those involved in this war, Washington, Kyiv and indeed Moscow, before Donald Trump is sworn in in January.