JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
Russia fired an experimental missile that slammed into eastern Ukraine today, inflicting damage and causing injuries. Russian leader Vladimir Putin said that this was a direct response to Ukrainian missile attacks earlier this week and also warned that NATO countries should beware. For more, we're joined now by NPR national security correspondent, Greg Myre. Hi there.
GREG MYRE, BYLINE: Hi, Juana.
SUMMERS: Greg, what can you tell us about this Russian missile attack?
MYRE: So the missile struck in the eastern city of Dnipro early today. As you noted, it damaged some buildings, caused some injuries. Now, the Ukrainians initially said it appeared to be an intercontinental ballistic missile. These missiles can carry nuclear weapons, so this really set off some alarm bells. But here in the U.S., the National Security Council said in a statement this was an experimental, intermediate-range, ballistic missile that had conventional explosives. So the statement added that Ukraine has withstood other Russian missiles with even larger warheads. And one additional note, Juana - the Pentagon said Russia did actually notify the U.S. briefly before this missile was launched.
SUMMERS: Interesting. OK. How did Vladimir Putin describe this attack?
MYRE: The Russian leader was clearly trying to send a message. He appeared on television, which is a little unusual - said this was, quote, "a response to the aggressive actions by NATO countries toward Russia." So he's referring to the past few days. President Biden gave Ukraine the OK to use U.S. ballistic missiles against Russia, which Ukraine did on Tuesday. He said Ukraine also fired British ballistic missiles, and he said Ukraine couldn't have done any of this without help from the West.
And Putin went on to say that Russia has the right to use its weapons against countries that allow their weapons to be used against Russia. So he was making a very direct challenge to the U.S. and European nations arming Ukraine. And just to be clear, this Russian missile used today had conventional warheads, but it can carry a nuclear weapon. And military experts say that it's designed primarily to deliver a nuclear warhead.
SUMMERS: Greg, given all of these developments, it feels like we're at quite a dangerous moment in the war - is that fair to say?
MYRE: Yeah, absolutely. I spoke with Michael Kofman at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He recently returned from Ukraine, where he visited front-line areas. He described this as a war of attrition that neither Russia nor Ukraine can sustain. But right now, Ukraine is struggling to hold the frontline in the east of the country against a Russian offensive.
MICHAEL KOFMAN: I think we're definitely in a critical period because Ukraine is at a particularly dangerous point and probably the lowest point I've seen since the very opening weeks of this conflict.
SUMMERS: And Greg, how are Russian forces faring?
MYRE: Yeah, these Russian advances are coming at a huge cost to their troops - some of the heaviest losses in the war. Kofman and others estimate Russia needs to recruit about a thousand new troops every day to replace those being killed, wounded and rotating out of the war. The Russians have managed so far, but probably not in the long run. Here's how Kofman puts it.
KOFMAN: This is a contest of wills, and it's about which force breaks first - the frontline or the Russian offensive, right? Like, will the Ukrainian military be able to exhaust the Russian offensive, or will the Russian military eventually force a collapse of the frontline?
MYRE: And beyond the frontline, other big questions loom on the horizon. President-elect Trump takes over in two months. He says he wants to negotiate the end of the war. But Kofman says we shouldn't assume Putin is willing to negotiate. In fact, he doesn't think Putin will negotiate seriously if he believes he's gaining ground. And Ukraine's power grid is a big question mark this winter. It's suffered major Russian attacks the past few years. Ukraine has managed to survive the past few winters, but it keeps getting harder.
SUMMERS: NPR's, Greg Myre - thanks so much.
MYRE: Sure thing. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
