THE WASHINGTON POST / USA
By Amy Cheng and Rachel Pannett
Russia has used hypersonic missiles in Ukraine, President Biden confirmed Monday, a move he suggested was in response to Moscow’s stalled ground campaign. Russia said last week that it had twice launched the missiles, which travel faster than five times the speed of sound and have not previously been used in combat.
Western officials have said that the Kremlin, frustrated with its lack of gains on the ground, is now relying on strikes from afar to support its bloody invasion. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in remarks Monday, said Russia has bombarded some of his country’s cities beyond recognition and accused Russian military pilots of having “emptiness instead of heart.” He also said that any political compromises needed to end the Russian assault would require Ukrainian voter approval via referendum.
Biden warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin could seek to escalate the war by using biological and chemical weapons in Ukraine, though he did not provide evidence. The Pentagon also said it has detected “increased naval activity” in the northern Black Sea, where the port city of Odessa is bracing for a potential assault. Air raid sirens blared across Ukraine overnight Monday — another day marked with death and destruction after strikes in Mykolaiv and Odessa.