Russia launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) over Ukraine, a day after Vladimir Putin altered his nuclear weapons policy.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia fired the ICBM. They issued a statement confirming that the Ukrainian forces shot down the missile over Ukraine.
However, the Air Force did not provide clear details on the nature of the weapon or confirm whether it was nuclear.
ICBMs are a critical component of Russia’s nuclear arsenal. They were designed to carry nuclear warheads but are also used for conventional warheads.
Recently, US President Joe Biden stated that Ukraine would use the large missiles supplied by the US against Russia. In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a new directive, changing the nuclear policy immediately. Putin warned that the situation would worsen if a nuclear-armed nation supported a non-nuclear-armed one.
In the revised directive, Putin stated that Russia could launch nuclear attacks on countries lacking nuclear capabilities. Just one day later, Russia launched the ICBM attack on Ukraine, but it remains unclear whether the missile was armed with nuclear warheads.