PDB Afternoon Bulletin | November 21st, 2024: Russia Launches Nuclear Capable Ballistic Missile At Ukraine & Arrest Warrant Issued for Netanyahu
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What recent missile launch has escalated tensions in Ukraine?
It's like the late afternoon bulletin. It's actually the early evening bulletin, and I apologize for my travel schedule. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed. First, we start with another potential major escalation in the war in Ukraine. Oh, another escalation. As Russia launches a nuclear-capable medium-range ballistic missile, for the first time since the war began. Then, the International Criminal Court, or the ICC, has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Golent, alleging that the pair have engaged in crimes against humanity linked to Israeli operations in Gaza.
What are the implications of the ICC's arrest warrant for Netanyahu?
The move promises to further inflame regional tensions as Hamas shared the ruling and Israeli leaders condemned the action as, quote, outrageous and anti-Semitic. But first, our afternoon spotlight. On Thursday, Russia fired a new type of ballistic missile at the Ukrainian city of Dnipro overnight as part of an attack on critical infrastructure in the region. While officials in Kyiv initially said that it was an intercontinental ballistic missile, or an ICBM, U.S. officials disputed that claim, saying that it was an experimental intermediate-range ballistic missile, referred to as an IRBM.
What type of missile did Russia launch and what does it signify?
Vladimir Putin himself addressed the situation in remarks on Thursday, saying Russia had indeed test-fired an experimental medium-range ballistic missile in response to Ukrainian long-range strikes using Western weapons earlier this week. Despite the debate about the specific classification of the missile, the one thing that ICBMs and IRBMs all have in common is that they are nuclear-capable weapons that can carry multiple warheads over a long distance. Speaking on Thursday during an unannounced television address to the Russian people, Putin said the launch was, quote, a response to U.S. plans to produce and deploy intermediate and short-range missiles, end quote. He added, in the event of an escalation, Russia will respond decisively and symmetrically. Putin warned that more strikes using these types of weapons could follow, but said they'd issue warnings to civilians ahead of any further attacks.
According to an AP report, the missile was fired from a location nearly 500 miles away from its target, along with eight other missiles, though Ukraine managed to shoot down six with their air defense systems. An industrial facility and a rehabilitation center were damaged in the attack, and local reports said that two people suffered injuries. For some background, intermediate-range ballistic missiles, IRBMs, and medium-range ballistic missiles, or MRBMs, have a large range but less than the capabilities of an ICBM which can travel more than 3,400 miles. Still, as mentioned, they are capable of carrying nuclear payloads. Notably, the missile fired on Thursday was equipped with a MIRV payload, and for those of you not keeping score at home, MIRV stands for Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicles, which are usually associated with nuclear weapons. An expert in missile technology from Oslo University told The Guardian, "...whether it was an ICBM or an IRBM, the range isn't the important factor.
What is the significance of MIRV technology in missile payloads?
The fact that it carried a MIRV payload is much more significant for signaling purposes and is the reason Russia opted for it. This payload is exclusively associated with nuclear-capable missiles." Putin also issued a broader threat against Britain and the U.S., who he claimed were pushing the world towards the brink of global conflict. Putin said, quote, Russia reserves the right to use weapons against targets in countries that permit their weapons to be used against Russian targets. He added, then again, I'm the one who started this whole mess with my stupid invasion ideas, so yeah, I guess I'm responsible, end quote. Okay, in no way was that last quote real.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What recent missile launch has escalated tensions in Ukraine?
0:37–1:18
2
What are the implications of the ICC's arrest warrant for Netanyahu?
1:18–1:56
3
What type of missile did Russia launch and what does it signify?
1:56–3:57
4
How did the missile launch impact the ongoing conflict?
3:57
5
What is the significance of MIRV technology in missile payloads?
3:30–5:16
6
How has the U.S. responded to Russia's actions in Ukraine?
5:16–5:37
7
What changes have occurred in Russia's nuclear doctrine?
5:37–11:09
Speakers
1 identifiedMore from The President's Daily Brief
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