RUSSIA has launched a revenge blitz on Ukraine following its long-range missile attacks – firing an intercontinental ballistic rocket for the first time.
It comes after Kyiv launched US ATACMS missiles against Putin’s territory overnight on Monday – and British Storm Shadow rockets on Wednesday in a double-tap victory.
A Russian Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile firing at Plesetsk testing field
An explosion captured in the country amid Russia’s revenge blitz
Unverified footage appeared to show fires in Ukraine from the Russian onslaught
Russia warned it would “react accordingly” as embassies in capital city Kyiv closed down on Wednesday for fear of a revenge blitz.
Putin’s forces this morning deployed fighters jet to launch the hypersonic Kinzhal – or Dagger missiles in a calculated bid to plunge Ukraine into darkness.
The Kremlin also dispatched Tu-95MS strategic bombers to launch cruise missiles against embattled Ukraine.
Kyiv’s air force confirmed an intercontinental ballistic missile had been launched from Astrakhan, in southern Russia on Thursday morning.
It marks the first time Russia has used such a powerful, long-range rocket since invading Ukraine in February 2022.
Unverified footage appeared to show an explosion and a fire in multiple spots across the embattled country.
The city of Dnipro was hit with Kinzhals while Kremenchuk and Myrhorod were also bombarded.
Moscow warned for months that the use of Western long-range missiles by Ukraine would mark a major escalation.
In September, a snarling Putin said it would “mean that Nato countries are at war with Russia”.
Local media reported that Russia was threatening to strike Kyiv with a “massive” new missile in revenge for this week’s strikes.
Putin’s men were apparently gearing up to shoot RS-26 intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Unverified footage online showed Ukraine’s ATACMS blitz against Russia
Russian airstrikes plunge Ukraine into darkness as snow blankets the country
Residents in Marine, Kursk, found debris from a Brit Storm Shadow missile on Wednesday
On Tuesday a rattled Putin green-lit a new nuclear doctrine just hours after Ukraine’s ATACMS strike, in retaliation to the US relaxing their missile permissions.
President Joe Biden had on Sunday approved a decision that allowed Ukraine to fire the American rockets inside Russia.
The Kremlin said it marked the crossing of a red line – officially putting nuclear retaliation on the table.
Putin’s propagandist puppets blasted threats against the US and UK on TV – with top Kremlin lap-dog Dmitry Peskov swearing that the use of Western non-nuclear missiles by Ukraine’s armies could spark a nuclear response.
Ukraine used the ATACMS rockets to hit a military depot in Bryansk – marking a major development on day 1000 of the brutal war.
Aerial footage apparently showed the Storm Shadow strike on Russia
Footage last night revealed the moment Ukraine reportedly fired Storm Shadow rockets inside Russia for the first time.
The unverified video showed a resident in Kursk pointing at the sky before loud booms are heard in the background.
Meanwhile other aerial footage purporting to show the strike captured rockets exploding a site in Kursk with an underground control room, Ukrainian defence experts said.
Giant plumes of smoke could be seen billowing from the site, before an orange fireball engulfed the building.
Reports suggest the attack targeted a location where North Korean generals could have been present alongside senior Russian military leaders.
Fragments of the bunker-busting rockets were found in the village of Marine, Kursk, on Wednesday, it is understood.
Up to 12 missiles were launched by a Ukrainian aircraft, according to reports.
Britain’s Storm Shadow missiles are a nightmare for enemies as they are capable of dodging air defences.
The £800,000 weapons – which were already being fired within Ukraine – use GPS to precisely hit targets, and can travel at 600mph.
Tyrant Vladimir Putin’s forces launched a revenge attack on Thursday morning
American ATACMS rockets can reach up to 190 miles (pictured: one of the missiles is fired from a rocket launcher)