News
During a press briefing on Nov. 21, a phone call prevented Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova from commenting on the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) against Ukraine.
In the middle of a live television broadcast, she picked up a phone call from an unidentified official, who instructed her to “not to comment at all” on the strike.
The instructions given to Zakharova during the call were audible in the live broadcast, as she did not step away from the microphones. The voice on the other end said:
“We don’t comment at all on the ballistic missile strike on ‘Pivdenmash’ that Western media are discussing.”
Zakharova resumed the briefing without addressing the incident, and no further questions on the matter were raised.
Speaking to The Insider, the MFA spokesperson described the caller as an “expert of the highest level” and dismissed the idea that the call might have been set up.
“If you watch my briefings, you’ll notice that sometimes I take calls. There’s always a phone in front of me. I read text messages and news feeds. Occasionally, I receive real-time information for comments. [...] Many call, but I only answer selected ones,” Zakharova explained.
When asked who had called her during the briefing, Zakharova described the figure as an “expert” and, when pressed further, added that the person was of “God-level” expertise.
Earlier today, Ukraine’s Air Force reported that on the night of Nov. 20-21, Russia launched an ICBM at the city of Dnipro. If confirmed, this would mark the first-ever combat use of such a missile, which is typically designed to deliver nuclear warheads. In this case, however, it is evident the missile was launched without a nuclear payload.
Before the attack, British Storm Shadow cruise missiles were confirmed to have been used against targets in the Kursk Region, which is internationally recognized as part of Russia. This came shortly after President Vladimir Putin signed a decree formalizing an updated nuclear doctrine. According to the policy, the use of conventional missiles against Russia could trigger a nuclear response if such actions pose a critical threat to the nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.