Russia launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) against Ukraine on Thursday, Ukrainian air force officials reported, marking what security experts call the first-ever combat use of a weapon system designed for nuclear deterrence, amid rapidly escalating tensions in the 33-month-old conflict.

The unprecedented deployment follows Ukraine’s recent use of U.S. and British missiles for strikes inside Russian territory, despite Moscow’s warnings of severe retaliation. While the missile reportedly carried a conventional warhead, the use of an ICBM represents a significant escalation in the conflict.

Ukrainian media outlet Ukrainska Pravda, citing anonymous sources, identified the weapon as an RS-26 Rubezh, a solid-fueled missile with a 5,800-kilometer range. The 12-meter-long missile, typically capable of carrying an 800-kilogram nuclear warhead, was reportedly launched from Russia’s Astrakhan region, more than 700 kilometers from its target in Dnipro.

Regional governor Serhiy Lysak reported the strike damaged an industrial facility and caused fires in Dnipro, injuring two people. The Russian barrage also included a Kinzhal hypersonic missile and seven Kh-101 cruise missiles, six of which Ukrainian forces intercepted, according to air force statements.

“If true this will be totally unprecedented and the first actual military use of ICBM,” posted Andrey Baklitskiy of the U.N. Institute for Disarmament Research on social media platform X. German security expert Ulrich Kuehn noted, “It looks as if Russia has today used an intercontinental ballistic missile in a war for the first time in history, against the civilian target Dnipro.”

The Kremlin declined immediate comment, directing inquiries to military authorities. Ukrainian defense consultancy Defense Express questioned whether the United States received advance warning of the launch, noting such notifications typically prevent accidental triggering of missile warning systems and retaliatory strikes.

The escalation comes amid shifting diplomatic dynamics, as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office in January. Trump has criticized billions in Ukraine aid under Biden’s administration and promised to end the conflict, though without specifying how. Both sides appear to be strengthening their positions ahead of potential peace negotiations, which haven’t occurred since the war’s earliest months.

The incident follows Tuesday’s Ukrainian deployment of U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles into Russia, authorized by President Biden, and Putin’s subsequent lowering of Russia’s threshold for nuclear weapons use. Moscow has consistently warned that Western-supplied weapons striking deep within Russian territory would mark a major escalation, while Kyiv maintains it requires such capability to target Russian military installations supporting the invasion.

REUTERS