On Thursday (November 21), after Ukraine accused Russia of firing a longer-range intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) — a first during this long war — Russian President Vladimir Putin in an address to his countrymen and the world confirmed that Moscow had fired an experimental ballistic missile at a military site in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. He further stated that Russia had “the right” to strike Western countries that provided Ukraine with weapons. The Russian strike prompted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to react, saying on Telegram, “This is an obvious and serious increase in the scale and brutality of this war.” He added that this missile strike was also proof that “Russia definitely does not want peace.” Zelenskyy also urged the world to take action against Putin, “The world must react. Right now there is no strong reaction from the world. You have to react. We must squeeze. It is necessary to urge Russia to a true peace, which is possible only through force. Otherwise, there will be relentless Russian strikes, threats and destabilisation, and not only against Ukraine.”
