First time ICBM used in war. US knew. Didn’t warn EU, Ukraine.

Leave a CommentFirst time ICBM used in war. US knew. Didn’t warn EU, Ukraine.National Security

Yesterday, Russia fired an ICBM towards Ukraine, targeting Dnipro, marking a significant escalation in the regional hostilities. The missile, potentially an RS-26 Rubezh, was not nuclear-armed but carried multiple conventional warheads. This move was seen as both a military strike and a psychological tactic, highlighting Russia’s capability and willingness to use advanced weaponry in the conflict.

Last week, Biden authorized Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to use American-made missiles with a range of about 190 miles, known as ATACMS, to strike deeper inside Russian territory than the Ukrainians have to date

Yesterday, President Vladimir Putin announced on TV that Russia hit a Ukrainian aerospace plant with an experimental hypersonic missile in the first use of a nuclear-capable weapon against Ukraine.

Speaking in an unscheduled television address, President Vladimir Putin said, “we are conducting combat tests of the Oreshnik missile system in response to NATO’s aggressive actions against Russia.“*

Putin announced that Russia fired a new intermediate-range ballistic missile, named the Oreshnik (Hazel Tree), at Ukraine. This action was in retaliation to Ukraine’s use of American and British long-range missiles against Russian targets. Putin highlighted the missile’s capabilities, stating it travels at Mach 10, making it too fast for U.S. air defense systems to intercept. He warned that any country allowing its weapons to be used against Russian assets could also be targeted by this missile. This statement follows the U.S. decision to permit Ukraine to use ATACMS missiles for strikes inside Russia, escalating the conflict dynamics.

Biden knew

It is interesting to note that 30 minutes before the launch Russia sent the US a notification automatically through the Nuclear Risk Reduction Center. No one knew at this point that the missile did not carry a nuclear payload do the tension must have been immense.

Biden has issued a statement condemning Russia’s actions and reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to supporting Ukraine. Issued in the context of the ongoing conflict, Biden predictably called for Congress to act swiftly to send further US aid to Ukraine.

Also Biden:

*Translation of Putin’s address

V. Putin: I want to inform the personnel of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, citizens of our country, our friends all over the world, as well as those who continue to have illusions about the possibility of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia, about the events that are taking place today in the zone of a special military operation, namely after the use of long-range Western-range weapons on our territory.

Continuing the course of escalation of the conflict provoked by the West in Ukraine, the United States and its NATO allies previously announced that they were giving permission to use their long-range high-precision weapons systems on the territory of the Russian Federation. Experts are well aware, and the Russian side has repeatedly stressed that it is impossible to use such weapons without the direct participation of military specialists of the countries producing such weapons.

On November 19, six U.S.-made ATACMS operational-tactical missiles and on November 21, during a combined missile attack, the UK-made Storm Shadow and U.S.-made HIMARS systems struck military facilities on the territory of the Russian Federation – in the Bryansk and Kursk regions. From that moment on, as we have repeatedly emphasized earlier, the regional conflict in Ukraine provoked by the West has acquired elements of a global character. Our air defense systems repelled these attacks. As a result, the goals that were obviously set by the enemy were not achieved.

The fire that occurred at the ammunition depot in the Bryansk region from the fall of the wreckage of ATACMS missiles has been eliminated, there are no casualties and no serious damage. In the Kursk region, an attack was carried out on one of the command posts of our “North” group. As a result of the attack and anti-aircraft combat, there are, unfortunately, casualties, dead and wounded from among the personnel of the external security units of the facility and service personnel. The command and operational staff of the control point was not injured and is in the regular mode of managing the actions of our troops to destroy and expel enemy units from the Kursk region.

Once again, I want to emphasize that the use of such weapons by the enemy is not able to affect the course of hostilities in the zone of special military operation. Our troops are successfully advancing along the entire line of combat contact. All the tasks we set for ourselves will be solved.

In response to the use of American and British long-range weapons on November 21 this year, the Russian Armed Forces launched a combined strike on one of the facilities of the defense-industrial complex of Ukraine. In combat conditions, one of the newest Russian medium-range missile systems was tested – in this case with a ballistic missile in nuclear-free hypersonic equipment. Our rocketers named it “Hash”. The tests were successful, the launch goal was achieved. On the territory of Ukraine in the city of Dnepropetrovsk, one of the largest and most famous industrial complexes since the Soviet Union, which still produces rocket technology and other weapons today, was hit.

We are developing medium- and shorter-range missiles in response to U.S. plans to produce and deploy medium- and shorter-range missiles in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. We believe that the United States made a mistake by unilaterally destroying the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles in 2019 under a far-fetched pretext. Today, the United States not only produces such equipment, but, as we see, during the training of their troops, they have worked out the issues of transferring their promising missile systems to different regions of the world, including Europe. Moreover, during the exercises, they conduct training on their use.

Let me remind you that Russia has voluntarily unilaterally committed itself not to deploy medium- and shorter-range missiles until American weapons of this kind appear in any region of the world.

I repeat: tests in combat conditions of the “Oreshnik” missile system are carried out by us in response to the aggressive actions of NATO countries against Russia. The issue of further deployment of medium- and shorter-range missiles will be decided by us depending on the actions of the United States and its satellites.

The targets to be hit during further tests of our latest missile systems will be determined by us based on the security threats of the Russian Federation. We consider ourselves entitled to use our weapons against the military facilities of those countries that allow the use of their weapons against our facilities, and in case of escalation of aggressive actions, we will respond just as decisively and mirror. I recommend that the ruling elites of those countries that plan to use their military contingents against Russia to seriously think about this.

Of course, choosing, if necessary and as a response, objects for the defeat of systems such as “Oresnik” on the territory of Ukraine, we will offer civilians in advance, as well as ask citizens of friendly states who are there to leave the dangerous zones. We will do it for humanitarian reasons – openly, publicly, without fear of opposition from the enemy, who also receives this information.

Why without fear? Because there are no means of countering such weapons today. Missiles attack targets at a speed of 10 Mach – it’s 2.5-3 kilometers per second. Modern air defense systems available in the world and missile defense systems created by the Americans in Europe do not intercept such missiles, this is excluded.

I emphasize once again that it was not Russia, but the United States that destroyed the system of international security and, continuing to fight, clinging to its hegemony, pushing the whole world to a global conflict.

We have always preferred and are now ready to resolve all controversial issues by peaceful means. But we are also ready for any development of events.

If anyone still doubts this, then in vain – there will always be an answer.