Stunning Moment Russian Foreign Minister Spox Ordered Not to Comment on Ukraine Airstrike Viewed Live on Air

Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for Russia’s Foreign Ministry, was abruptly silenced during a live press briefing by an unexpected phone call as reports surfaced of a Russian ballistic missile strike on Ukraine.

Caught on camera, the unidentified male caller directly addressed Zakharova, using her nickname.

“Masha,” the voice said, “on the Yuzhmash ballistic missile strike that the Westerners have started talking about, we are not commenting at all.”

Zakharova acknowledged the order and continued the press conference.

The directive, issued in real-time, appeared to preempt any official acknowledgment or denial of the attack, although notably the caller did acknowledge Yuzhmash, a prominent hub for Ukraine’s aerospace and defense industries.

Ukraine’s air force claimed on Thursday that Russia conducted the attack using an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

This claim, however, was dismissed by others. ABC News reported that one western official said that the weapon appeared to be a shorter-range ballistic missile like the kind that has been used before.