Ukraine urges swift global reaction to Russia’s use of ‘new weapon’

Ukraine’s foreign ministry on Thursday called on the international community to react swiftly to Russia’s use of a “new type of weaponry”, though he stopped short of saying it was confirmed to be an intercontinental ballistic missile.

“We call on the international community and every leader, every state that respects the UN charter to right now, immediately to react to the use by Russia of a new type of weaponry,” spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi said during a press briefing in Kyiv.

“If it is confirmed that specifically an intercontinental ballistic missile was used, then we believe that it can be said that Putin’s Russia has degraded to the status of North Korea, which from time to time...fairly regularly fires such missiles, frightening its neighbors, frightening the world.”

Earlier, Ukraine said Russia had fired what appeared to be an intercontinental ballistic missile at the city of Dnipro. Two Western officials told Reuters that initial analysis suggested it was not an ICBM.