He said that the missile, codenamed Oreshnik, was a response to the use by Ukraine of US and UK long-range weaponry to hit targets inside Russia. Putin added that Russia could attack military facilities of those countries which allowed their weapons to be used for this purpose.

Russia launched a rare, experimental ballistic missile against Ukraine as tensions between Moscow and Washington continued to escalate.

Ukraine has lost over 40% of the territory in Russia's Kursk region that it seized in a surprise incursion in August as Russian forces have mounted waves of counter-assaults, a senior Ukrainian military source said.