Ukrainian investigators are analyzing fragments of a new intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) that Russia fired into the city of Dnipropetrovsk on Thursday, marking the first time the weapon has been used on the battlefield.
Ukrainian security officials showed The Associated Press on Sunday the remaining debris from the IRBM called Oreshnik (Russian for hazel tree) that attacked the factory.
Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged the attack in an address to the nation on Thursday night, responding to the joint US and UK approval for Ukraine to use Western-supplied long-range missiles to target Russia. He said it was a direct response.
The Pentagon said the missile was based on Russia's RS-26 Lubezh intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), but security officials at an undisclosed location in Ukraine said the wreckage was still in the area. Not analyzed.
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Fragments of the rocket that struck Dnipro on Nov. 21 are seen at a forensic analysis center at an undisclosed location in Ukraine, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeny Maloletka)
The Associated Press and other media were allowed to view fragments before they were turned over to law enforcement authorities.
News agencies showed images of torn and charred wires and the plane reduced to ash the size of a large snow tire. All remains of IRBMs capable of carrying nuclear or conventional warheads remained.
“It should be noted that this is the first time that such missile remains were discovered on the territory of Ukraine,” said an expert from the Security Service of Ukraine. The expert spoke only by his first name, Ole, because he was not authorized to discuss the issue with the media.
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Fragments of the rocket that struck Dnipro on Nov. 21 are seen at a forensic analysis center at an undisclosed location in Ukraine, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeny Maloletka)
Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate said the missile was fired from the fourth missile test site at Kapustin Yar in Russia's Astrakhan region. Ukrainian officials said the plane flew for 15 minutes before crashing in Dnipro. The missile carried six warheads, each carrying six subunits, and had a speed of Mach 11.
Last week, Sabrina Singh, a deputy Pentagon spokeswoman, acknowledged in a press conference that Russia had launched an IRBM, noting that it was a “new type of lethal capability used in the battlefield.”
He also said the United States was briefly notified prior to the launch through nuclear and risk mitigation channels.
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Fragments of the rocket that struck Dnipro on Nov. 21 are seen at a forensic analysis center at an undisclosed location in Ukraine, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeny Maloletka)
Putin also said last week that the missile hit the target at a speed of Mach 10.
Despite claims by Ukraine and President Vladimir Putin, the rocket reached speeds in excess of Mach 10, two U.S. defense officials told Fox News on Thursday that the missile was not hypersonic and, according to NASA, He said the speed was over 3,000 miles per hour, faster than Mach 5.
President Putin launched the first IRBM on the battlefield and signed a law granting debt relief to those who join the Russian military to fight in Ukraine.
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Fragments of the rocket that struck Dnipro on Nov. 21 are seen at a forensic analysis center at an undisclosed location in Ukraine, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeny Maloletka)
The Associated Press reported that the move highlights the need for the country's military to continue its war with Ukraine.
Russian state news agency Interfax reported that under the new law, recruits who join the army on a one-year contract will be able to have up to 10 million rubles (about $96,000) in debt canceled.
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The law reportedly applies to debts for which a court has issued a recovery order and for which enforcement proceedings have been initiated before December 1, 2024. This law also applies to spouses of new employees.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
