Putin suggests potential strikes on Western targets in a 'global' escalation of the Ukraine conflict

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared on Thursday that the Ukraine conflict has taken on a "global" dimension, suggesting that strikes on Western countries could not be ruled out. 

The comments came after a tense day in which Russia test-fired a new intermediate-range missile targeting Ukraine, which Putin hinted could carry a nuclear payload. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack as a significant escalation of the war’s "scale and brutality" by a "reckless neighbor." Meanwhile, the U.S., Kyiv's primary ally, accused Russia of intensifying the conflict at every opportunity.

Intermediate-range missiles, with a range of up to 5,500 kilometers (3,400 miles), could potentially enable Putin to make good on his threats against Western targets. In a defiant speech, Putin criticized Ukraine's Western allies for permitting Kyiv to use supplied weapons against Russian targets, warning of possible retaliation.

Ukraine recently escalated tensions by firing U.S.- and UK-supplied missiles at Russian territory for the first time. Putin responded by asserting Russia's right to target military facilities in countries that support such actions, claiming that Moscow's air defenses intercepted U.S.-made ATACMS and UK-provided Storm Shadow missiles. However, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov acknowledged that Russia had informed Washington of its missile test via a nuclear de-escalation hotline.

While the Kremlin insisted it seeks to avoid nuclear conflict, NATO dismissed the missile test as unlikely to change the course of the war. White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre noted no need to alter U.S. nuclear policy in response.

In contrast, Zelensky called the missile strike proof of Russia’s disregard for peace, warning that other nations could face similar threats unless Russia is countered through force. The attack on Dnipro injured civilians and damaged infrastructure, following warnings of large-scale strikes that had already prompted several embassies in Kyiv to close temporarily.

Russia's ambassador to London accused the UK of direct involvement in the war, as British media reported Kyiv's use of UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles on Russian territory. In turn, the White House pointed to Moscow’s alleged involvement of North Korean troops in its efforts to repel Ukrainian advances in the Kursk region.

Amid the missile exchanges, Moscow claimed further ground in Ukraine's Donetsk region, reporting the capture of a village near Kurakhove, underscoring the escalating intensity of the nearly three-year-long conflict.