Putin announced a combined strike by the Russian Armed Forces against a Ukrainian defense industry facility

The Russian Armed Forces have launched a combined strike on a facility of Ukraine 's defense-industrial complex (DIC) in response to a strike on Russian territory with long-range missiles. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on November 21.

"In response to the use of American and British long-range weapons on November 21 this year, the Russian armed forces launched a combined strike on one of the facilities of Ukraine's defense-industrial complex," the Russian leader said in his address.

He noted that one of the newest Russian medium-range missile systems was tested under combat conditions. In this case, according to the president, a nuclear-free hypersonic ballistic missile called Oreshnik was used.

"The test was successful. The purpose of the launch has been achieved. On the territory of Ukraine, in the city of Dnepropetrovsk, one of the largest and well-known since the times of the Soviet Union industrial complexes, which even today produces missile equipment and other weapons, was hit," the president added.

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On the same day, Putin said Ukraine had used Western long-range weapons against the Russian state. According to him, the regional conflict has acquired elements of global character.

Prior to that, on November 17, The New York Times reported that incumbent US President Joe Biden had authorized Ukraine to use US long-range ATACMS missiles to strike Russia. The White House did not officially confirm this fact. On November 19, the Russian military shot down five ATACMS launched by the AFU in the Bryansk Region and damaged another one.

Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized that the Biden administration wants the conflict in Ukraine to continue, and that the AFU strikes by Western long-range missiles deep into Russian territory are a new escalation. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned that these actions would receive an "adequate and tangible" response.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) are trying to strike Russian territories against the background of the special operation in Donbass, the start of which was announced on February 24, 2022. The decision was taken due to the aggravation of the situation in the region due to shelling by the Ukrainian military.