Ukraine-Russia war live: Russia prepares ballistic missile launch


Ukrainian intelligence warns of an imminent Russian ballistic missile launch, intended as a show of force against Ukraine and the West.
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Russia intends to launch a ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead on Sunday to intimidate Ukraine and the West, Ukrainian military intelligence warned.

An RS-24 intercontinental rocket will be launched from Russia’s central Sverdlovsk region for “training and combat” purposes, the GUR agency said.

The missile has a flight range of more than 10,000 kilometres (6,200 miles), nearly double the distance from Russia to the UK, and was wheeled through Moscow on the Victory Day parade on May 9.

Ukraine said the test launch was designed to “demonstratively pressure and intimidate Ukraine, and also EU and NATO member states”. 

Russia fired what was thought to be an intercontinental ballistic missile at Ukraine’s Dnipro in November last year, but Vladimir Putin later claimed the weapon used was an intermediate-range rocket.  

The news of the launch came as Putin on Sunday claimed Russia has the “strength and resource” to finish what it started with the invasion of Ukraine.

His comments followed a refusal to sign up to a 30-day temporary ceasefire that would lead to further direct talks with Kyiv.

“We have enough strength and resources to bring what was started in 2022 to a logical conclusion with the result that Russia needs,” he said, without clarifying further.

Putin is scheduled to speak with Donald Trump, the US president, in a telephone call on Monday, during which the US president will urge his Russian counterpart to “stop the bloodbath”. 

The call follows a meeting between JD Vance, the US vice-president, and Volodymyr Zelensky in the Vatican on Sunday in what was the pair’s first official audience since their fiery Oval Office clash in February. 

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