On Thursday morning, November 21, a Russian intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) struck the central-eastern city of Dnipro, injuring at least two individuals. This attack marks the first use of a nuclear-capable weapon in the ongoing 1,000-day war. The Ukrainian Air Force confirmed the missile strike, which resulted in damage to an industrial facility and the outbreak of two fires in the city. Dnipro’s mayor, Boris Filatov, also reported that a rehabilitation center for people with disabilities was hit during the assault.
Filatov stated that the facility’s boiler room was destroyed, and windows were blown out, but further details on casualties were still being clarified. The missile, launched from Russia’s Astrakhan region, was part of a larger airborne assault between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. local time. This assault included seven cruise missiles fired from Tu-95 strategic bombers and an aeroballistic missile launched from a MiG-31k fighter jet, according to the Ukrainian Air Force.
While six of the cruise missiles were intercepted by air defense systems, it remains unclear whether the injuries or damage were caused by the ICBM. The missile used in the attack was identified as an RS-26 Rubezh, a medium-range ICBM with a range of 3,730 miles and a payload capacity of 1.3 tons. These missiles can carry either nuclear or conventional warheads and travel at speeds of up to 17,000 mph.
Additionally, a Russian missile strike on Kryvyi Rih, located about 90 miles southwest of Dnipro, resulted in injuries to at least 15 people, including two teenage boys. Nine individuals were hospitalized, with reports of moderate injuries to a 32-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman.
The escalation comes after Ukraine received approval from U.S. President Joe Biden to use Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) for deeper strikes into Russian territory. Biden had initially hesitated to grant this approval over concerns about further escalating the conflict. Russia has also reported the use of ATACMS and British-made Storm Shadow missiles by Ukraine, further intensifying the ongoing war.
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