The Ukraine war is becoming increasingly complex by progressing time. Although the war is primarily between Ukraine and Russia, various other countries have become indirectly involved. In this situation, Russian President Vladimir Putin perceives the characteristics of a “global” war within the Ukraine conflict. He has issued a warning, stating that he would not hesitate to strike Western countries if necessary.
Ukraine used long-range missiles provided by Western nations to attack Russian territory on Tuesday and Wednesday. In retaliation, Russia launched attacks in Ukraine’s Dnipro region on Thursday with a new type of missile. Initially thought to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), Moscow later revealed that it was a new-generation hypersonic missile. Putin stated that this missile, like ICBMs, is capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
President Putin had previously warned that allowing attacks on Russian territory would have dire consequences. Despite his warnings, the U.S. chose to escalate tensions further. Putin has now stated that he is not ruling out the possibility of striking Western nations directly.
For over 33 months, Ukraine’s Western allies have provided massive military support to sustain the country in the war. Putin claims that missiles supplied by the United States and the United Kingdom were destroyed by Russia’s air defense systems before they could strike their targets. He added yesterday that “the enemy has failed to achieve their objectives.” Furthermore, Moscow might consider attacking the military installations of countries whose weapons have been used to strike Russian territory.
According to Putin, the missile launched on Thursday is called the “Orenshnik.” It is a medium-range hypersonic ballistic missile. However, according to NATO and the United States, it was a medium-range ballistic missile capable of striking targets 5,500 kilometers away.
The missile strike in Dnipro has alarmed Kyiv’s allies. The European Union and the United Kingdom have already strongly condemned the attack. NATO is now preparing to hold discussions with Ukraine regarding the incident. A meeting between the two sides is scheduled for next Tuesday in Brussels, Belgium.
A NATO spokesperson stated that the missile attack on Dnipro is not strategically significant, saying, “The use of such weapons will not change the course of the war, nor will it deter NATO’s support for Ukraine.”
Meanwhile, reports from British media suggest that Ukraine used a British-made long-range “Storm Shadow” missile to attack Russia on Wednesday, following approval from the United Kingdom. In response, Russian Ambassador to the U.K. Andrei Kelin told Sky News that the U.K. has now become “directly involved” in the Ukraine war.
In preparation for the approaching winter, Russia has been intensifying missile and drone strikes across Ukraine for the past two weeks. Russia is also making significant advancements in Ukraine’s eastern regions, claiming to have captured several villages. On Thursday, Russia’s Defense Ministry announced that it had captured the critical village of Dalne in the Donetsk region.
Ukraine has not confirmed the capture of Dalne. However, the country’s military reported on Thursday that Russia made 26 attempts in the past 24 hours to breach Ukrainian defensive lines in seven villages, one of which was Dalne. Currently, armed clashes are ongoing in 10 to 16 locations in the village.
Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Initially, their objective was to swiftly capture the capital, Kyiv. After failing, Russia shifted its focus to capturing the Donbas region in the east, which comprises Donetsk and Luhansk. Over the past two months, Russian forces have made significant advancements in this region. Currently, Russia occupies 20% of Ukraine’s territory, including parts of Donbas.
As part of their efforts to advance in eastern Ukraine, Russian forces conducted a drone strike on the city of Sumy today, Friday. In a statement, regional authorities reported that the attack, carried out at 5 a.m., damaged several buildings and three vehicles in Sumy. Two people were killed, and 12 others were injured in the attack.