Russia’s latest attacks on Ukraine, which Volodymyr Zelenskyy said involved an Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile, showed “reckless nuclear brinkmanship,” according to the EU’s foreign policy chief. “Russia has hit a dead end on the battlefield, so it terrorizes Ukraine with deliberate strikes on city centers. These are abhorrent acts of terror meant to kill as many civilians as possible,” Kaja Kallas wrote on X. “Moscow reportedly using Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missiles – systems designed to carry nuclear warheads – is a political scare tactic and reckless nuclear brinkmanship,” Kallas said.
Russia has now used its powerful hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile three times in strikes on Ukraine, writes Jennifer Rankin. The massive attack on Kyiv and its surrounding region killed at least four people and injured about 100. “They are genuinely deranged,” Zelenskyy said on Telegram, describing Moscow’s latest strikes, which he said had hit Kyiv the hardest.
The head of the World Health Organization said its offices in Kyiv had been damaged by debris from Russian strikes, “damaging windows on the third floor.” “This building is home to many UN agencies besides WHO. No one got injured,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X.
The German foreign minister, Johann Wadephul, joined the French president, Emmanuel Macron, in condemning the latest Russian attacks and described the use of an Oreshnik ballistic missile as “another escalation.” The UK foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, said: “Moscow’s escalating assault on Ukrainian civilians betrays its weakness.” Cooper described scenes from Kyiv as “awful.”
Macron has warned the Belarusian leader, Alexander Lukashenko, a key Russian ally, against any involvement in Moscow’s war against Ukraine, a source close to the French president said. The warning was made during the first reported phone call between the two leaders since the early days of Russia’s invasion in February 2022, partly launched from Belarusian territory. Macron “stressed the risks for Belarus of allowing itself to be drawn into Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine,” the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said. “He also urged Alexander Lukashenko to take the necessary steps to improve relations between Belarus and Europe,” the source added, according to Agence France-Presse.
Russia and Belarus held nuclear drills on 18 May, against a backdrop of Kyiv escalating its drone attacks on Russia. Belarus, which borders NATO’s eastern flank, hosts Russia’s latest nuclear-capable missile, the Oreshnik.
Ukraine’s SBU security service said its drones attacked an oil pumping dispatch station in Russia’s Vladimir region on Sunday, adding that the facility was an important node in pumping oil products south-west to Moscow and its surrounding area. “It supplies fuel to major oil depots around Moscow and to Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, and Vnukovo airports,” the SBU said in a statement on social media. It said a fire over an area spanning 800 square meters (8,600 square feet) was recorded after the strike. The governor of Vladimir Region, Alexander Avdeyev, later said the fire near the town of Kameshkovo had been extinguished.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs about the Ukraine war update regarding Putin nuclear brinkmanship and the Oreshnik missile strike on Kyiv
BeginnerLevel Questions
1 What exactly happened in this latest attack on Kyiv
Russia launched a new type of missile called the Oreshnik at Kyiv Ukrainian air defenses intercepted most of the missiles but debris caused damage and injuries in the city
2 Why is Putin being accused of nuclear brinkmanship
Brinkmanship means pushing a dangerous situation to the edge of disaster to force an opponent to back down Putin is accused of this because the Oreshnik missile is reportedly capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and using it in a strike on a major city is seen as a reckless threat to escalate the war toward a nuclear confrontation
3 What is the Oreshnik missile
The Oreshnik is a new Russian hypersonic missile It flies at extremely high speeds making it very difficult to shoot down Its key feature is that it can be fitted with either a conventional explosive or a nuclear warhead
4 Is this the first time a nuclearcapable missile has been used in the war
No Russia has used other nuclearcapable missiles before like the Kinzhal and Kalibr However the Oreshnik is a newer more advanced system and targeting the capital city of Kyiv is seen as a particularly aggressive escalation
5 Does this mean a nuclear war is about to start
Not necessarily The accusation is about reckless brinkmanship meaning Russia is testing the limits to create fear While the risk of a nuclear accident or miscalculation has increased most experts believe a deliberate fullscale nuclear war is still unlikely at this point
Intermediate Advanced Questions
6 What is the specific evidence that Putin is engaging in nuclear brinkmanship with this strike
The accusation stems from the specific choice of weapon and target Using a brandnew nuclearcapable missile against a densely populated capital city is seen as a deliberate signal Analysts argue it is designed to remind the West that Russia has the ability to strike with nuclear force creating maximum psychological pressure without actually using a nuclear weapon
7 How does the Oreshnik missile differ from other Russian hypersonic weapons like the Kinzhal
The Oreshnik is an intercontinentalrange missile
