Western officials (speaking on condition of anonymity) deny the claim.

As some Americans may know, the Space Race of 1955-1975 between the U.S. and the Soviet Union was closely connected with Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) development. An (ICBM) is launched into into space, where it can travel a long distance, and is then steered to reenter the atmosphere to drop its target.

ICBMs are thought to have a minimum range of 3,400 miles, but some models can travel up to 5,500 miles, according to the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation.

ICBMs can be fired from silos or mobile launch vehicles and can be solid or liquid fueled. Solid-fueled ICBMs are regarded as more dangerous as they can be moved and launched more quickly than liquid-fueled ones. They can be armed with conventional or nuclear warheads. The first ICBM rocket was launched in 1957 by the then-Soviet Union. The United States followed in 1959.

According to various news reports, the Ukrainian military claims that an ICBM (equipped with a conventional warhead) was fired on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro this (Thursday) morning.