A Russian attack on a city that Ukraine said included the use of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) has reinforced calls for the U.S. to supply Kyiv with the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system.
The Ukrainian air force’s statement that among the nine missiles launched Thursday at the city of Dnipro was a conventional ICBM has not been independently confirmed, but the prospect of Moscow using a nuclear-capable weapon has raised alarm.
After yet another Russian barrage on a Ukrainian city, Kira Rudik, leader of Ukraine’s Holos party, told Newsweek that “our air defense is a matter of life or death for us.”
“Every additional layer of air defense and air defense ammunitions are giving our fighters a chance to take down those missiles and our people a chance to survive for another day,” she said.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the missile had the “characteristics” of an ICBM and that the attack was being investigated.
Newsweek reached out by email to the Russian Foreign Ministry for comment.
Richard Gardiner, a senior analyst at security company S-RM, told Newsweek, “If confirmed, Russia’s use of an intercontinental ballistic missile would mark a significant escalation during an already volatile period in the conflict.”
Unnamed U.S. officials told ABC and CBS that rather than an ICBM, the weapon was simply a ballistic missile, while others speculated it may have been medium or intermediate range Moscow has not yet commented, but the incident has again focused minds on how Ukraine can defend itself against Russia’s constant barrage.
Pro-Ukrainian accounts on X (formerly Twitter) were quick to call for the U.S. to supply the THAAD system, which Kyiv had requested in December 2023, according to Reuters. The system can intercept and destroy short-, medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles both inside and outside the Earth’s atmosphere during what is known as the terminal phase of flight.
“Ukraine currently has no weapons that can shoot down ICBMs,” news outlet Visegrád 24 wrote on X. “The U.S. recently sent THAAD to Israel, a system capable of shooting down ICBMs,” a reference to its deployment last month to counter Iranian air threats.
“Apart from the USA, THAAD is currently also operated by Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Will Ukraine be next?” the post added.
“THAAD needed,” said an X post by the account Liveuamap next to a video it said showed Dnipro being hit.
“Only the American THAAD air defense system is capable of shooting down intercontinental ballistic missiles,” Jürgen Nauditt wrote on X. “This missile complex can intercept targets outside and inside the atmosphere.”
The missile was launched from southern Russia’s Astrakhan region, which is over 430 miles east of Dnipro, and it follows the U.S. dropping its restriction on ATACMS missiles being fired by Kyiv into Russian territory.
Rudik, the Ukrainian politician, said: “It is critical that when Russia is fighting with absolutely no limitations that out allies will stop limiting us in defending ourselves and provide us with additional equipment that will allow us to take down various kinds of Russian Iranian missile and drones.”