The war between Ukraine and Russia escalated after the Kremlin launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile

The Ukrainian Air Force said in a statement that Russian forces had fired multiple missiles at the central city of Dnipro in the early hours of the morning, hitting critical infrastructure.

“In particular, an intercontinental ballistic missile was fired from the Astrakhan region of the Russian Federation,” the statement said.

A Ukrainian air force source confirmed to AFP that it was the first time its forces had deployed the weapon since the Kremlin attack.

The source added that it was “clear” that the missile, which is designed to carry both conventional and nuclear warheads, did not carry a nuclear warhead.

Asked whether Moscow had fired the missile, which can hit targets thousands of kilometers away, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he had nothing to say on the subject.

Air defense units shot down six missiles, the air force said, without specifying whether an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) was shot down.

The head of the vast region where the city of Dnipro is located said that the Russian aerial bombardment damaged a rehabilitation center and several houses as well as an industrial plant.

“Two people were injured – a 57-year-old man was treated at the scene and a 42-year-old woman was hospitalized,” official Sergiy Lysak.

Russia and Ukraine have increased the use of long-range ballistic missiles in recent days since the United States authorized the use of its ATACMS against military targets inside Russia — a long-standing request of Ukraine.

Meanwhile, British media reported on Wednesday that Kiev had fired British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles at targets in Russia after getting the green light from London.

The Defense Ministry in Moscow said its air defense system shot down two Typhoon Shadows, without specifying whether they were shot down on Russian soil or in occupied Ukraine.