Video of suspected ICBM weapon raining down on Dnipro on the morning of November 21.
On November 21, the Ukrainian Air Force accused Russia of launching an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at the city of Dnipro, from Russia's Astrakhan region, 1,000 km away. The statement did not specify what type of ICBM Russia deployed.
Former Deputy Interior Minister of Ukraine Anton Gerashchenko, citing the Strategic Communications Center of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said Ukraine was the first country in the world to be attacked by an intercontinental ballistic missile. Gerashchenko posted a video of a series of light waves of suspected ICBMs falling on the city of Dnipro on November 21.
The Ukrainska Pravda newspaper reported that the ICBM used by Russia is the RS-26 Rubezh, with a range of up to 5,800 km. By definition, an ICBM is a long-range weapon that is launched into space and then releases one or more warheads that re-enter the atmosphere to attack a target. Ballistic missiles come in four types, classified by range, and ICBMs have the longest range, over 5,500 km.
The US Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said that although the R-26 is classified as an ICBM under the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty between the US and Russia, it can also be classified as an intermediate-range ballistic missile when used with a heavier payload at a range of less than 5,500 km.
Image believed to be of the RS-26 Rubezh missile complex.
ICBMs fly at very high speeds, up to 7 km/s. According to a military source, if flying from Russia, an ICBM would take about 40 minutes to reach its target in the US. The journey of more than 1,000 km to Dnipro from Russia's Astrakhan region would take less than 10 minutes.
CSIS said the RS-26 was first successfully tested in 2012 and is estimated to be 12 meters long, weigh 36 tons and can carry an 800 kg nuclear warhead.
The Rubezh itself is a solid-fuel ICBM equipped with MIRV technology (multiple reentry vehicles that can be programmed to attack individual targets). It was developed in 2011 and hit a target 5,800 km from the launch site.
Solid-fuel rockets do not need to be refueled immediately after launch and are generally easier to operate. They are a mixture of fuel and oxidizer bound together by a durable, flexible material and packaged in a metal casing. When the solid fuel in the RS-26 burns, the oxygen from the fuel rods creates tremendous energy, providing thrust and assisting in liftoff.
Ballistic missiles follow a parabolic trajectory with three phases: Boost, Midcourse, and Terminal. The highest point the missile reaches is called the apogee, and for ICBMs, this is over 4,000 km. During the re-entry or terminal phase, the kinetic energy (from gravity) combined with the missile’s speed reaches over Mach 10, making it extremely difficult to intercept.
ICBM components and flight stages contain MIRVs.
According to CNN, Ukraine currently has Patriot missile defense batteries provided by the US and Germany, capable of intercepting incoming ballistic missile warheads.
The Patriot system is designed to attack incoming warheads with either their own explosive warheads or with kinetic interceptors — a technology known as “hit-to-kill.” This destroys an incoming warhead by directly striking it.
According to the US Congressional Research Service, the Patriot interceptor missile has a vertical range of about 20 km and protects an area of about 15 to 20 km around the battery.
Kiev reported that its armed forces successfully used the Patriot system to intercept an incoming Russian Kinzhal ballistic missile in 2023. But the Kinzhal is an air-launched ballistic missile fired from a MiG fighter jet and is an easier target than the warhead from an intercontinental ballistic missile.
Importantly, the Patriot cannot intercept ICBMs. The Patriot system is primarily designed to intercept short- to medium-range ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and aircraft. Its range, speed, and engagement altitude are not sufficient to deal with ICBMs that fly much faster and higher.
To counter ICBMs, specialized systems such as the US Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD), the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System (Aegis BMD) or the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) are used. These systems are designed to attack ICBMs in their midcourse phase (outside the atmosphere) or terminal phase (as they re-enter the atmosphere). However, none of these systems have been tested in combat.
Source: https://vtcnews.vn/lan-dau-tien-icbm-duoc-dua-vao-thuc-chien-o-mot-quoc-gia-ar908885.html
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