Russia's use of a purported new ballistic missile "will not change the course of the conflict, or deter NATO allies from supporting Ukraine," NATO spokesperson Farah Dakhlallah said on Nov. 21.
Dakhlallah's comments came after Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country had launched its "newest missile," an IRBM called "Oreshnik," in an attack on Dnipro in eastern Ukraine earlier that day.
"The Russian attack on Dnipro on Thursday is yet another example of Russia's attacks on Ukrainian cities," Dakhlallah said in comments reported by the Guardian and AFP.
Putin said the attack was in response to Ukraine targeting facilities in Russian oblasts using Western-supplied long-range missiles.
On Nov. 17 U.S. President Joe Biden allowed Ukraine to use ATACMS missiles to strike deep into the territory of the Russian Federation.
On Nov. 19, Ukraine launched ATACMS missiles for the first time in Russia's Bryansk Oblast, and on Nov. 20, it made its first use of UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles.
After depicting such a move as crossing another "red line" the Kremlin had drawn, Russian President Vladimir Putin previously said his country would respond.
"They probably considered testing a nuclear warhead, which was also rumored to happen soon, but decided that's too intense, and that could invite too much backlash, especially from partners, such as China and India," Fabian Hoffmann, a defense expert and doctoral research fellow at the University of Oslo, told the Kyiv Independent.
"They probably thought that (the IRBM strike) is the next best option because it sends a clear signal to the West, while potentially not antagonizing critical international partners," he added.
"So this strike is not for military value, this is purely, purely for political purposes."
Alisa Yurchenko
(Updated: )
