Ukraine’s military accuses Russia of firing an intercontinental ballistic missile, ICBM, at the city of Dnipro, in the eastern parts of the country, on Thursday morning.
The long-range robot is said to have been launched from the city of Astrakhan, in southern Russia.
Ulf Kristersson (M) commented on the attack at a press conference. The prime minister pointed out that his information about the type of robot that was aimed at Dnipro is scarce – but that it is clear that it is a weapon that has not been used by Russia against Ukraine so far.
– They want to try to scare Western countries from continuing to support Ukraine. As they have noted so far, it doesn’t work. We stand clearly and firmly in our support for Ukraine, says Kristersson.
ICBMs can reach everywhere
Andreas Hörnedal, who is a research leader at the Department of Defense Technology at the Total Defense Research Institute, sees it as quite possible that Russia used an ICBM.
Hörnedal explains that there are different types of intercontinental ballistic robots and that a limit is usually drawn at a range of 5,500 kilometers. Those that reach the furthest have a range of up to 20,000 kilometers. The massive robots weigh somewhere between 50 and 200 tons and cost hundreds of millions of kroner.
– You should be able to reach goals anywhere in the world. Like for example from Russia to the USA or from the USA to China, says the research leader.
– What is characteristic of ICBMs is that they look roughly like a space rocket. One or more warheads are sent off on a ballistic trajectory. You target them with as much precision as you can, but they can land more than a hundred meters wrong. Therefore, it does not make sense for them to carry traditional warheads, he continues.
Nuclear weapons
An ICBM is primarily designed to be armed with nuclear weapons.
– They are exclusive. The idea is that you only bring them out when the big nuclear apocalypse is approaching, says Andreas Hörnedal.
If it is true that Russia fired an ICBM at Ukraine, it would be unique.
– As far as I can think of, this is the first time that it has been used against an enemy country in a war, says the research leader.
Russian purpose
Otherwise, the robot type has only been fired during tests. The US, for example, conducted a test firing the day after the presidential election.
– There was a lot to show that they still work. Now Russia has wanted to show the outside world that they have one that works. At the same time as they make some kind of mark against Ukraine, says Andreas Hörnedal.
If an ICBM was fired at Dnipro, the research leader sees it as likely that the robot was ballasted, i.e. that it carried no munitions at all. Andreas Hörnedal makes the assessment that Russia will probably not send more intercontinental ballistic robots against Ukraine.
– You can’t renounce your nuclear deterrent and start cuddling the robots you have as nuclear weapon carriers. It is also very expensive, he says.
Fact: Intercontinental robots
An intercontinental ballistic missile (commonly abbreviated ICBM) is a long-range weapon. The robot is launched into space and releases its warheads at high altitude. These then fly towards their targets in a high and fast throwing trajectory.
Ballistic robots are divided into different classes depending on their range.
Short distance is under 100 miles, medium distance between 100 and 550 miles and intercontinental robots above that. However, some intercontinental robots can travel significantly further – around 900 miles.
A ballistic robot is controlled only at the beginning of the launch, when the fuel burns.
The first ICBM was launched by the then Soviet Union in 1957. The United States followed in 1959.
(TT)