'New type of lethal capability': Russia launches experimental ballistic missile at Ukraine

WASHINGTON — Russia launched a rare, experimental ballistic missile against Ukraine on Thursday as tensions between Moscow and Washington continued to escalate.

Its use marked the first time the intermediate-range ballistic missile was used in combat, Sabrina Singh, a Pentagon spokesperson, told reporters. Russian authorities informed U.S. officials just prior to its launch, she said, a move intended to avoid it being mistaken with a nuclear attack.

She described the missile as a "new type of lethal capability."

Russia may have fired it to intimidate Ukraine and its supporters, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly. However, the weapon is not viewed as a gamechanger on the battlefield.

The U.S. notified Ukraine and close allies prior to its launch to help them prepare, the U.S. official said. Russia is thought to have only a "handful" of the missiles.

The missile, Singh said, is based on the RS-26, which is an intermediate-range ballistic missile being developed by the Russian military. That missile can carry nuclear warhead, or, as in this case, be fitted with conventional explosives. The RS-26 has a range of up to 3,600 miles, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

In recent weeks, the war in Ukraine has intensified with a series of developments that have escalated tension. Russia has deployed as many as 11,000 North Korean soldiers to its Kursk region to fight Ukrainian forces who seized territory there over the summer.

Meanwhile, Russian troops continue to make steady gains in eastern Ukraine after more than two years of grinding warfare.

To stem that advance, the Biden administration this week announced that it would provide Ukraine with antipersonnel landmines. More than 160 countries ban the weapons, which can remain lethal years after they are sown on battlefields. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters that the mines provided by the Pentagon are programmed to go dormant after a period.

Also this week, the administration relaxed guidelines on how far it will allow Ukraine to fire long-range U.S.-supplied missiles into Russia. The Army Tactical Missile System, known as ATACMS, can accurately target troops, arsenals and airfields nearly 200 miles away.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Russia attacks Ukraine with rare and lethal ballistic missile