Russia confirmed that it had hampered Ukraine's 2025 military objectives after the warning it had issued to the collective West by test-firing a new intermediate-range missile at Ukraine. 

The evaluation for next year followed a Russian drone strike overnight on the eastern Ukrainian city of Sumy, which resulted in the deaths of two people and left a dozen others wounded. The attack involved new cluster munitions, according to local authorities.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the missile launch in a bold speech late on Thursday, asserting that the conflict in Ukraine had become "global" in scope, while hinting at potential strikes against Western nations.

Russia will respond strongly and in a mirror-like fashion if Ukraine's aggressive escalation continues, Putin vowed. He warned the nations that are "hatching plans to use their military contingents against Russia" to also deeply consider his threat. 

During a meeting with military commanders, Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov said that Moscow's progress in Ukraine had "accelerated" and that Ukraine's elite units had been "ground down".

"We have essentially derailed the entire 2025 campaign," Belousov stated about the Ukrainian military in a video released by the Russian Defense Ministry.

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Calls for calm, chaos, and peace

The attack, which appears to have targeted an aerospace manufacturing plant in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro, drew swift condemnation from Kiev’s allies.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz considered the attack to be a "terrible escalation," ahead of a scheduled meeting between NATO and Ukraine next week, which is expected to discuss the recent strike. 

Meanwhile, China advocated for "calm" and "restraint" from all sides following Russia’s confirmation of the new missile strike. "All parties should remain calm and exercise restraint, work to de-escalate the situation through dialogue and consultation, and create conditions for an early ceasefire," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said in a briefing. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky demanded an immediate response from his Western allies to the Russian missile attack, claiming it proved that Moscow was not interested in peace. 

Russia's operation came as a response to the Ukrainian attacks targeting Russian territory after the United States granted Kiev permission to use long-range missiles against Russia. 

Putin had expressed his nation's preference for peace in his Thursday speech, but warned that hostility would warrant legitimate military responses, saying "We have always preferred and are now ready to resolve all disputed issues by peaceful means. But we are also ready for any development of events. If anyone else doubts this, they really should not. There will always be an answer."

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