Ukraine has accused Russia of firing a ballistic missile at its Dnipropetrovsk region, initially believed to be an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) but later identified as a shorter-range ballistic missile by a Western official. The distinction between an ICBM and other ballistic missiles lies in their range capabilities, with ICBMs capable of traveling thousands of miles across continents, while other ballistic missiles have shorter and intermediate ranges.
However, the focus should not solely be on the missile's range but also on its payload, which refers to the explosive power it carries. Fabian Hoffmann, a doctoral research fellow at the Oslo Nuclear Project, emphasized the importance of the missile's payload over its range.
Although the missile launched by Russia was non-nuclear, it was equipped with a Multiple Independently-targetable Reentry Vehicles (MIRV) payload, indicating the ability to strike multiple targets with separate warheads. MIRVs were originally developed during the Cold War for delivering multiple nuclear warheads.
Despite the non-nuclear nature of the strike, the use of MIRV technology in this incident was seen as a strategic message. Hoffmann highlighted that MIRV capability has historically been associated with nuclear-capable missiles, and the presence of this technology in a conventional missile system from Russia still conveys a nuclear threat.
