Footage shows Russia's 'new' ballistic missile striking Ukraine as Putin sends warning to west

Footage of the missile which struck the Ukrainian city of Dnipro has shown what the latest Russian bombardment looks like.

The Ukrainian air force had previously said they'd been struck by an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which would have made it the first time such a weapon was used in warfare.

However, US officials claimed it wasn't actually an ICBM, while Russian dictator Vladimir Putin later said it was 'a new conventional intermediate-range missile'.

So, not quite the same thing as an ICBM, which is capable of travelling at speeds of three kilometres (1.8 miles) a second.

White House officials also confirmed that they briefed the Ukrainians in the days before the strike on Dnipro that they were aware the Russians were going to launch the intermediate-range missile, with White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre saying 'the escalation at every turn, at every step, is coming from Russia'.

Putin also said that the launching of the missile was done in response to Ukraine using missiles supplied by the US and UK to strike targets within Russia.

For the longest time in Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine, which has left many thousands dead and driven millions from their homes, Putin's forces were able to use equipment based in Russia to strike Ukraine, while Ukraine did not have permission from nations supplying it with munitions to strike targets in Russia.

This meant Russia could have sites within its own territory which they could use to bombard Ukraine during their invasion, while the invaded country was limited in what it could do in response.

With the recent granting of permission to use American-supplied ATACAMS and British-made Storm Shadow missiles, Ukrainians are able to do something they have been asking for.

However, Putin declared that allowing the Ukrainians to do to the Russians what the Russians have been doing to the Ukrainians since the start of his invasion would represent an escalation of the conflict, and result in a response, which has turned out to be the use of this missile.

Appearing on Russian TV, the dictator, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes, boasted that his 'new' missiles travelled at 10 times the speed of sound.

He said: "Modern air defence systems that exist in the world and anti-missile defences created by the Americans in Europe can’t intercept such missiles."

Putin told Western nations that Russia was 'ready for any developments', adding: "If anyone still doubts this, they shouldn’t. There will always be a response."

He went on to threaten to use the missiles in strikes against countries that were providing weapons for the defence of Ukraine, saying: "We believe that we have the right to use our weapons against military facilities of the countries that allow to use their weapons against our facilities.

"And in case of escalation of aggressive actions we will respond resolutely in a mirror way."

Ukrainian media claim that it took less than five minutes for the Russian ballistic missile to fly 790 kilometres and hit Yuzhmash plant in the city of Dnipro.

By doing this, the Kremlin is demonstrating what a nuclear strike against anywhere in Europe could look like. It is… pic.twitter.com/g4kdPtNy4C

— Leonid Ragozin (@leonidragozin) November 21, 2024

Putin said that in the future, they would give Ukrainian citizens advance warning if they were planning to target them with the missile, claiming it would be a 'humanitarian' gesture towards the people he has brought war and death to.

In response to the missile attack, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said: "Today, our insane neighbour has once again shown what they truly are, and how they despise dignity, freedom, and human life itself. And how terrified they are."