Dmitry Peskov

Kiev accused Russia of launching an intercontinental ballistic missile attack at Ukraine for the first time on Thursday but without a nuclear warhead in a new escalation of the conflict.

Ukraine said the missile had targeted the central city of Dnipro, while the Kremlin said it was doing everything possible to avoid a nuclear conflict but did not confirm it had deployed the weapon.

Russia on Wednesday accused the U.S. of prolonging the "war in Ukraine" by stepping up weapons deliveries to Kiev ahead of Donald Trump entering the White House.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has stated that the special crisis hotline between Moscow and Washington is currently inactive. Introduced in 1963 following the Cuban Missile Crisis, the hotline was designed to provide a direct and secure communication channel between the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union.

On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree allowing for broader use of nuclear weapons, renewing a decree he originally signed in June 2020.

In this photo released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, a Russian Uragan self-propelled multiple rocket launcher fires towards Ukrainian positions from an undisclosed location in Ukraine. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

The Kremlin accused U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday of escalating the 1,000-day-old war in Ukraine, promising a "palpable" response to any use of U.S. long-range missiles by Ukraine to strike targets inside Russia.

The Kremlin said Monday that U.S. President Joe Biden's outgoing administration will further inflame tensions by allowing Ukraine to use long-range missiles for strikes inside Russia.

A new round of tensions over the war in Ukraine will, according to the Kremlin, be brought about by the green light given by the US, France and Britain to Kiev to use long-range missiles.

Russian President Vladimir Putin extended congratulations to Donald Trump following his victory in the U.S. presidential election and expressed Moscow's readiness for dialogue with the president-elect. "I would like to congratulate him on his victory in the U.S. presidential election," Putin remarked at the Valdai International Discussion Club in Sochi on November 7.

Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that it is uncertain whether Vladimir Putin will extend congratulations to Donald Trump on his election victory. He emphasized that the United States is considered an enemy country by Russia, both directly and indirectly involved in the conflict against Russia.