Foreign Ministry spokeswoman called during briefing, told not to comment on reports of ballistic missile strike on Ukraine

Speaking at a briefing on Thursday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova took a phone call during which she was heard being asked not to comment on reports of a ballistic missile strike on Ukraine. The exchange was caught on a hot mic. It’s unclear who she was speaking with or whether the call was prearranged.

Earlier in the day, Ukraine’s Air Force claimed that Russia had launched a ballistic missile strike, though this has not been independently verified.