Ukraine's Defense Minister Vows to Respond to Russian Missile Attack

On November 22, speaking at a press conference in Stockholm with his Swedish counterpart Pal Jonson, Mr. Rustem Umerov said this was the second time Russia had escalated the war this year.

So at this stage, Ukraine is trying to increase its capacity, its air defense capabilities, and is trying to respond. However, he also admitted that the war situation in Ukraine is very difficult.

Meanwhile, Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson said the Russian attack would not reduce his government's support for Ukraine. According to the aid plan for Ukraine, the country will continue to provide about 25 billion kronor ($2.2 billion) in 2025-2026 and possibly more.

Mr. Jonson also confirmed that the two countries have deepened cooperation. The Swedish government is ready to significantly increase aid for the mass production of long-range missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This country will increase the purchase of long-range missiles and UAVs and then transfer them to the Ukrainian defense industry.

In another related development, on the same day, November 22, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky visited Kiev to meet his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha and expressed his commitment to continue supporting Ukraine after Russia used new hypersonic missiles to attack.

Earlier, in a televised speech on November 21, President Putin confirmed that Russia had fired new missiles after Ukraine, with the approval of the Biden Administration, attacked Russia with six US-made ATACMS missiles on November 19 and British Storm Shadow and US HIMARS cruise missiles on November 21.

Accordingly, Moscow attacked the Yuzhmash rocket and space company - a missile and defense enterprise in the city of Dnipro, Ukraine.

On November 22, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that all of its missiles hit their targets and this was also the first time Russia used a medium-range hypersonic ballistic missile carrying a conventional warhead in combat.

On November 22, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized that the new hypersonic ballistic missile attack on Ukraine was a message to the West in response to recent aggressive actions.

"The main message is that the West's reckless decisions and actions in producing missiles, supplying them to Ukraine, and then engaging in attacks on Russian territory cannot go unanswered by Russia," Peskov said.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia's use of the new missile was a clear and serious escalation of the war and called for strong condemnation worldwide.