The war in Ukraine is entering a “decisive phase”, with Vladimir Putin’s launch of a new campaign that shows that the threat of international violence is “serious and real”, the Polish president said.
Donald Tusk’s warning came as NATO and Ukrainian officials convened for emergency talks over the hypersonic ballistic missile attack on Dnipro.
Putin said the first step was to respond to Ukraine using British and American submarines on targets in Russia – and issued a stern threat that Moscow “has the right” to strike any Western country that provided Kyiv with such weapons. And he vowed to continue using the new missile “in a combat situation” – a threat to Ukraine and the West.
Mr. Tusk clarified the danger in Ukraine, which shares a border with Poland: “The war in the east is entering a critical phase; we feel that the unknown is approaching. Conflict is playing a big role. The last 12 hours have shown that the threat is serious and real when it comes to international conflict. “
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the country must mount a “serious response” to Putin’s brutal shooting, to show there are “results”. He added that his defense ministry is already working with allies and partners to develop air defenses to prevent a “new threat” facing his country.
Ukraine’s parliament session was suspended on Friday as security was tightened following the Dnipro strike.
Flashes after a missile strike on the Dnipro in Ukraine (Return to Life/AFP via Getty)
This week Ukraine used UK-made Storm Shadow missiles and US-made tactical missile systems (ATACMS) to strike targets inside Russia, after months of pleading with Mr Zelensky to be allowed to use the missiles, which have a range of 190 kilometres. .
Russia increased its threats to the West in response. On Tuesday, the 1,000th anniversary of his invasion of Ukraine, Putin signed a revised nuclear doctrine declaring that a conventional attack on Russia by any nuclear-backed country would be considered a joint attack on his country.
US military officials said the Russian missile design is based on Russia’s long-range RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The new weapon was experimental and Russia may have a few of them, officials said.
The Pentagon said the missile was fired by conventional warfare, but added that Moscow could repair it if it wanted. “It can be modified to carry various types of conventional or nuclear weapons,” Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said.
After determining that the missile was an ICBM, Kyiv’s top spy agency said it flew for 15 minutes and reached speeds in excess of Mach 11, or 11 times the speed of sound.
Polish President Donald Tusk (EPA)
“The flight time of this Russian missile from the moment it was launched in the Astrakhan region to its impact in the city of Dnipro was 15 minutes,” the Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR) said in a statement.
“The weapon had six guns, each with six weapons. The speed on the last part of the route was above Mach 11.”
The HUR added that the weapon may have come from the Kedr missile complex, which is a Russian ballistic missile program.
Putin said on Friday that Russia will continue field testing the hypersonic Oreshnik missile and begin serial production of the new system. He said that it could not be captured by the enemy.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, one of the Kremlin’s allies in Europe, warned not to underestimate Russia’s responses, saying that the revision of the nuclear transfer doctrine should not be dismissed as a “bluff”.
“It’s not cheating – there will be consequences,” he said.
Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavski called the Russian missile strike “an escalating and provocative step [by] the Russian dictator threatens the citizens of Ukraine and threatens the citizens of Europe”.
British Defense Minister, Maria Eagle, said that the UK will stand firmly with Ukraine and its European partners. “We heard such disloyalty from [Putin] long ago,” he said. “We cannot allow ourselves to be lax in supporting Ukraine, and we will not.”
Failure to confront Russian aggression would come with “serious costs” for Europe, he added.
Sir Keir Starmer was asked on Friday if Britain was at war.
“No, we are not at war, but Ukraine is there, because Ukraine was invaded by Russia, and this war has been going on for more than a thousand days,” he said.
“It’s 1,000 days of aggression from Russia and 1,000 days of sacrifice for Ukraine, that’s why we have always said that we stand with Ukraine,” he added. “We cannot allow Putin to win this war.”