Ukrainian military intelligence has warned that Russia is preparing to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, according to a report by The Telegraph.
Ukraine claims the move is intended as an intimidation tactic directed at the West.
“A RS-24 intercontinental missile will be launched from Russia’s central Sverdlovsk region for ‘training and combat’ purposes,” reads a statement from Ukraine’s Intelligence Directorate.
The RS-24 missile has a range of over 10,000 kilometers almost twice the distance between Russia and the United Kingdom and was paraded through Moscow during the Victory Day celebrations on May 9.
According to Ukrainian authorities, the test launch is designed to “demonstratively suppress and intimidate Ukraine, as well as EU and NATO member states.”
Russia previously launched what was believed to be an ICBM toward the Ukrainian city of Dnipro in November last year. However, President Vladimir Putin later claimed the weapon used was a medium-range missile.
This latest warning coincides with Putin’s statement on Sunday, in which he asserted that Russia has “the strength and resources to finish what it started with the invasion of Ukraine.”
