NATO reaffirms support for Ukraine following Russian ballistic missile launch

NATO members on Tuesday reaffirmed their support for Ukraine during talks with the country's officials held in response to Russia's launch of an experimental intermediate-range ballistic missile last week.

Ambassadors representing NATO's 32 member countries were briefed by senior Ukrainian officials after Kyiv called a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council, a forum for cooperation.

"The chief of the defence intelligence of Ukraine and acting commander of the air force joined the meeting online and briefed the allies on the details of the attack and its possible consequences," Nataliia Galibarenko, Ukraine's ambassador to NATO, said in a statement.

"They emphasized to the partners that this outrageous attack was a blatant demonstration of force by Russia and a fruitless attempt to intimidate the allies," she added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday Moscow struck a Ukrainian military facility with a new intermediate-range, hypersonic ballistic missile in response to the U.S. and UK's allowing Kyiv to strike Russian territory with advanced Western weapons.

NATO said in a statement following the talks that "the attack, which targeted Dnipro, is seen as another attempt by Russia to terrorise the civilian population in Ukraine and intimidate those who support Ukraine as it defends itself against Russia's illegal and unprovoked aggression".