REVISES HEADLINE, SPOT & LEDE; ADDS STATEMENTS FROM UKRAINE; EDITS THROUGHOUT
By Burc Eruygur and Elena Teslova
ISTANBUL / MOSCOW (AA) - Ukraine on Thursday claimed Russia launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on the city of Dnipro. as the ongoing conflict between the two countries surpassed the 1,000-day mark.
A statement by the Ukrainian Air Force on Telegram said six cruise missiles were shot down by air defenses over Dnipro between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. local time (0300GMT and 0500GMT), one of which it claimed was an ICBM launched from Russia’s Astrakhan region.
“All the parameters: speed, altitude – match those of an intercontinental ballistic missile,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later said in a video address to mark Day of Dignity and Freedom.
Accusing Russia of being “terrified,” Zelenskyy said his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin is using Ukraine as a “testing ground.” He said all expert evaluations to confirm the exact model of the missile are underway.
The claims come after Ukraine's alleged use of US-made ATACMS and UK-made Storm Shadow missiles on Russian territory.