Russia allegedly fired ICBM towards Ukraine

[Maxmars]

In what amounts to another example of weak reporting...

FoxNews: Russia launched intercontinental ballistic missile toward Ukraine, air force says
Subtitled: Ukraine's Air Force say they were able destroy six of the missiles during the early Thursday attack

I will explain why "weak" reporting....

1) The title is that an ICBM was lunched by Russia "in the direction of Ukraine" (toward)...
2) this is according to "air force"... who is that? theirs, ours?
3) Ukrainian say they shot down "six" of the missiles... the title doesn't say multiple...?

(Someone was in a hurry to publish this piece...)

Russian troops launched various missiles, reportedly including an intercontinental ballistic missile from the Astrakhan region, in an early morning attack on Ukraine on Thursday.

Ukraine's Air Force said on its Telegram account that it destroyed six Kh-101 cruise missiles using anti-aircraft combat.

The Russian attack hit critical infrastructure in the central-eastern city of Dnipro, according to the air force.


Six Kh-101 Cruise missiles... "including an intercontinental ballistic missile"... this is a story with a muddle in the middle... one that appears to be meant to cause fear...

The report ends....

If the attack did involve an ICBM, it would mark a major escalation in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and the first time such a weapon has been used.

... Closing with the phrase "if the attack..." tells me that this was a poorly edited, badly crafted report... the kind that has more at it's roots than "read-all-about-it!" news

[guyfriday]

I guess this tale follows on the one you provided.
Russia threatens to attack new US base in Poland with 'advanced weapons'

 Russia has threatened to attack a new US defense base in Poland with “advanced weapons” — just hours after reportedly launching an intercontinental ballistic missile at Ukraine on Thursday.
 
Moscow leveled the warning after saying the opening of the ballistic missile defense base, located in the town of Redzikowo near the Baltic coast, would lead to an increase in overall nuclear danger.
 
“Given the nature and level of threats posed by such Western military facilities, the missile defense base in Poland has long been added to the list of priority targets for potential destruction, which, if necessary, can be executed with a wide range of advanced weapons,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said.

Is Sorcha Faiel still doing these reports? This notion of a failed Russian attack sounds very weird. From the New york Post story,

The Kremlin’s warning came after Kyiv’s air force said Russian forces launched an intercontinental ballistic missile during an attack on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro earlier Thursday.
 
The Ukrainian air force said the missile was fired from the Russian region of Astrakhan — some 435 miles from Dnipro in east-central Ukraine.
 
“Today there was a new Russian missile. All the characteristics — speed, altitude — are (of an) intercontinental ballistic (missile). An expert (investigation) is currently underway,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video statement.
 
Asked about the Ukrainian statement, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters to contact the Russian military for comment.

Ok so what gets me is that Russia has Hypersonic Missiles, and when they use one... ONE on Ukraine, the world lost it's shit. Why would the use an ICBM when they could easily attack Ukraine using these impossible to intercept hypersonic missiles? This whole story sounds like hype to try and force a global response against Russia. I bet Ukraine knows it was in the wrong all along and is pushing out these propaganda pieces in an effort to continue to paint Russia as the bad guy. 

The other issue this story might be pushing at is a deflection from Ukraine as the aggressor in that Cable Cutting affair from a few days ago, that like the Nord Stream 2 attack, has Ukrainian fingers all over it. 

If an ICBM was used the radiation from it being destroyed, either through detonation or intercept, would be very noticeable by NATO and other World officials. So, this idea that "if confirmed" is just stupid. It would have been confirmed as soon as it was launched and again confirmed as soon as it was destroyed.

[guyfriday]

Here is another story about this, but it doesn't confirm the ICBM. 
Ukraine’s military says Russian ICBM strikes Dnipro, a claim denied by Western official - ABC News

 LONDON and KYIV -- Russia on Thursday launched an intercontinental ballistic missile toward southeastern Ukraine, officials in Kyiv said, but two U.S. officials told ABC News it was instead an intermediate-range ballistic missile, or IRBM.
 
Ukraine's military was "95% sure" the strike was with an ICBM, a Ukrainian official told ABC News, but added that they were still examining the missile parts on the ground and had not yet reached a final conclusion.

95% sure, really? 

The Ukrainian Air Force announced Thursday morning it had tracked the launch of the ICBM, along with six additional missiles, all of which were targeting the Dnipro region. The ICBM appeared to have been launched from the Astrahan region, in Russia's southwest, Ukrainian military officials said.
 
All of the missiles were launched in about two hours, beginning at about 5 a.m. local time, Ukraine said.
 
All were targeted at businesses and critical infrastructure, but only the missile that Ukraine identified as an ICBM struck the city, Ukraine said. The six other missiles were shot down. There were no reports of casualties or significant damage, officials said.

Really? I mean who uses an ICBM for non-nuclear use. Also, this isn't the 1940s, but even then, a Ballistic Missile would cause significant damage and/or loss of life. That's the point behind using an ICBM. 

Towards the end of the story it points out,

The U.S. officials said the assessment of the launch, the type of missile and warhead, and the damage in Dnipro was continuing. The distance from what Ukraine said was the launch point to the strike location in Dnipro is about 600 miles, a distance shorter than what an ICBM would be expected to travel.
 
Two experts told ABC News the projectile, seen in video circulating online, looks likely to be "a ballistic missile with MIRV-ed capabilities."

So, this narrative is just nonsense being pushed by Ukraine, I bet they are going to beg for more money from the US, and I bet certain individuals in office right now will try and get them that money.

[IdeomotorPrisoner]

Didn't Ukraine shoot down a hypersonic missile with a patriot missile?

https://www.defenseone.com/technology/20...ns/390498/

“There'll be a cat-and-mouse game that will continue here, because the more sophisticated the maneuvering and the final terminal stage of the missile can go, the tougher it's going to be to hit. But we're actually in the cat-mouse game on hypersonic defense already. And I would say that is a significant deterrent.”

As for headline "Russia shoots ICBM at Ukraine"

Posturing/false escalation awaiting Trump. End term maneuvering to set up our next 4 years, because geopolitics revolves around our transition of power still.

Ukraine will launch 180 miles into Russia. And Russian forces will shoot a few ICBMs unnecessarily. Then Trump will 'broker' a ceasefire and Ukraine loses 4 oblasts in the East that were already more Russian sympathizing anyway.

I just find it quirky how the war/anti war script has flipped Code Pink (anti-war) to a conservative position, or simply cant pick a lane. Was it Halliburton? Afghanistan? Biden ineptitude?

When did the perception of the MIC become mostly left-leaning contract driven warhawks?

Because SOMEWHERE between 2004 and 2024 (more towards '24) the "war party" switched. I remember mostly democrats opposed Iraq. It was still 'hippies' vs. 'redneck.' Like the yellow troop support ribbons were more likely to be spotted on a pick up truck beside a Bush/Cheney 04 sticker.

And it gets all mixed up now. Western-allied, NATO-aspiring Ukraine is not supported and NATO opposed Russia attacking them is "not our concern?" Does that also mean NATO is no longer our concern? It's a war over Russia's NATO buffer zone, right?

It's like it switched primarily in the name of NATO exit strategy and isolationism, except with The Holy Land, which is still our global concern.

War support positions completely flip on Israel.

Meanwhile 80% of American Jews voted democrat, Israeli jews name things for Trump, and the Ukrainian-Americans were largely Republican leaning.

Down is now Left. Black is now orange. And I'm pretty sure the gods of dark humor are in control.

So I support the MIC supplying American arms for use in both conflicts, for consistency...

[KKLoco]

What the hell are these things:

https://x.com/justxashton/status/1859605...kmSRaPdvng

There are no ground explosions.

[Maxmars]

Reversed video... these are launches

[KKLoco]

Thank you. Man I’m sick of idiots on the internet making up shit.

[guyfriday]

What the hell are these things:

https://x.com/justxashton/status/1859605...kmSRaPdvng

There are no ground explosions.

Looks like sped up video of flares landing on the ground.

**Edited in part**

I see that it was stated that it's launches being ran in reverse. So disinformation campaign is in full go

**Edite over**

New story now getting tossed around,
Russia Fires Missile Capable of Carrying Nuclear Warheads at Ukraine

Ukraine’s air force said Russia had launched an intercontinental ballistic missile at the city of Dnipro in the early hours of Thursday morning, saying it was fired from Russia’s Astrakhan region, up to 650 miles away. The missile carried a conventional, nonnuclear warhead.

Western officials didn’t confirm Russia had launched an ICBM, and a senior Ukrainian official urged caution, saying the military was still confirming what was used.

Again it looks like Ukraine is trying hard to push the narrative,

In a video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the weapon Russia used had all the characteristics of an intercontinental ballistic missile, adding that experts are evaluating the attack.
 
“Obviously, Putin is using Ukraine as a testing ground,” Zelensky said. “Obviously, Putin is terrified when normal life simply exists next to him.”

So why would Russia waste an ICBM with a non-nuclear warhead? It would be easier to use another hypersonic missile on Ukraine, which to date I don't believe can be shot down (though I hope one of those aviation expects would pop in here and verify or dispute)

I believe Zelensky came out of that meeting with Trump knowing that he will either have to show where the equipment and money are or lose his gravy train.

[Maxmars]

Thank you. Man I’m sick of idiots on the internet making up shit.

Me too.
It's a damn epidemic of bullshit videos... and for some reason no one is shaming YouTube for the proliferation of bogus videos... there must be a lot of money in click harvesting...

[Sirius]

Fortunately we all have years of looking at nonsense hoping to find something. Hard times ahead.