Russia used 'experimental' missile to strike Ukraine: US official

Washington: Russia's strike on Ukraine was not an ICBM, but an "experimental" medium-range ballistic missile, a US official said Thursday, playing down the significance of the attack.

"Russia may be seeking to use this capability to try to intimidate Ukraine and its supporters... but it will not be a game changer in this conflict," the US official said.

Ukraine did not provide any evidence that an ICBM was used in the attack on the central city of Dnipro, apparently armed with conventional warheads.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a missile used “matches the speed and altitude” of an ICBM. The Kremlin refused to comment on the strike.

But an initial U.S. assessment shows the strike came from an intermediate-range ballistic missile not an ICBM, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly about it. A third U.S. official also said it did not appear to be an ICBM.

The attack comes in a week when tensions have repeatedly soared, as the U.S. eased restrictions on Ukraine's use of American-made longer-range missiles inside Russia and Russian President Vladimir Putin lowered the threshold for launching nuclear weapons.

US slaps sanctions on dozens of Russian banks

The United States unveiled sanctions on dozens of Russian banks Thursday -- including the largest remaining one yet to face such action -- over the war in Ukraine.

The move taking aim at financial institutions and officials "will further diminish and degrade Russia's war machine," Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement.

"This sweeping action will make it harder for the Kremlin to evade US sanctions and fund and equip its military," she added.

The latest sanctions hit Gazprombank, Russia's largest remaining bank not previously blocked by the United States, and more than 50 internationally connected Russian banks, said the Treasury Department.

The effort also covers more than 40 Russian securities registrars and 15 Russian finance officials, the department added.

It was not immediately clear if the new wave of sanctions was linked to a recent escalation of tensions. Ukraine on Thursday accused Russia of launching a non-nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile attack. AFP