OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
11:57 AM – Thursday, November 21, 2024
Hours after purportedly firing an intercontinental ballistic missile at Ukraine on Thursday, Russia is now threatening to use “advanced weapons” to attack a U.S. defense station in Poland.
Moscow issued the warning after its assertion that the opening of the ballistic missile defense installation, which is situated in the town of Redzikowo close to the Baltic coast, would raise the overall risk of nuclear war.
“Given the nature and level of threats posed by such Western military facilities, the missile defense base in Poland has long been added to the list of priority targets for potential destruction, which, if necessary, can be executed with a wide range of advanced weapons,” said Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.
“This is another frankly provocative step in a series of deeply destabilizing actions by the Americans and their allies in the North Atlantic Alliance in the strategic sphere,” Zakharova added, referencing the base.
“This leads to undermining strategic stability, increasing strategic risks and, as a result, to an increase in the overall level of nuclear danger.”
Meanwhile, Poland maintained and reiterated that the base does not pose a threat whatsoever and that it does not hold nuclear missiles.
“It is a base that serves the purpose of defense, not attack,” stated Pawel Wronski, spokesperson of Poland’s foreign ministry.
“Such threats will certainly serve as an argument to strengthen Poland’s and NATO’s air defenses, and should also be considered by the United States.”
Following an attack on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro early on Thursday, reported by Kyiv’s air force, Russian forces fired an intercontinental ballistic missile, prompting the Kremlin to issue the warning.
The missile was shot from the Astrakhan region of Russia, which is about 435 miles from Dnipro in east-central Ukraine, the Ukrainian air force explained.
“Today there was a new Russian missile. All the characteristics — speed, altitude — are (of an) intercontinental ballistic (missile). An expert (investigation) is currently underway,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Since President Joe Biden authorized Ukraine to fire American-made long-range missiles at targets within Russia this week, despite Moscow warning it would view that action as a major escalation and Putin stating it may spark World War III, the launch, if confirmed, adds to the already rapidly rising tensions.
Meanwhile, the former Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) commander-in-chief, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, shared an additional warning.
“I believe that in 2024 we can absolutely definitely consider that the Third World War has begun. Because in 2024 Ukraine is no longer facing Russia. In front of Ukraine are soldiers from North Korea. Iranian “Shaheds” are killing civilians in Ukraine quite openly, without any shyness. Chinese shells are detonated in Ukraine, Chinese parts are used in Russian missiles,” Zaluzhny said.
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