紐時賞析／俄試射核飛彈轟烏克蘭西部

Nuclear-Capable Missile Hits Western Ukraine

俄試射核飛彈轟烏克蘭西部

The Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday that it had struck western Ukraine with a nuclear-capable intermediate-range ballistic missile, an ominous warning by President Vladimir Putin of Russia as U.S.-led negotiations to end the war have gained steam.

俄羅斯國防部周五表示，他們使用可搭載核彈頭中程彈道飛彈空襲烏克蘭西部。此舉堪稱俄國總統普亭在美主導的停戰談判進入關鍵時刻之際，發出核威懾的不祥訊號。

The attack was only the second time in the war that Russia had fired that type of missile, known as the Oreshnik. The choice of western Ukraine — near the border with Poland, a European Union and NATO member — as the target seemed intended to send a message to Europe as it strongly backs Ukraine in the settlement talks.

這是戰爭爆發以來，俄羅斯第二次動用名為「榛果樹」的此型飛彈。攻擊目標選在接近波蘭邊境的烏克蘭西部，外界解讀，此舉意在向強力支持烏克蘭參與停戰談判的歐洲國家發出警告。

With the strike, Russia is escalating the fighting in Ukraine even as it has offered a muted response to challenges in other places around the globe, including in Venezuela. There, the Trump administration ousted a Russian ally, President Nicolás Maduro, last week. On Wednesday, the United States seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic that Washington had placed under sanctions for illicit oil shipments.

俄國透過這次襲擊升高在烏克蘭的衝突，即使他們對委內瑞拉等全球其他地方發生的挑戰沉默以對。川普政府上周推翻俄國盟友、委內瑞拉總統馬杜洛。美國周三在北大西洋扣押懸掛俄國國旗的油輪，這艘油輪先前因非法運輸石油遭美國制裁。

Russia said on Friday that it had used the Oreshnik missile and other weapons to hit drone-making and energy infrastructure in Ukraine. Explosions were reported early Friday near the western city of Lviv after the Ukrainian military warned of a potential missile launch from a Russian strategic nuclear testing site, the Kapustin Yar facility near the Caspian Sea.

俄國周五表示，他們使用榛果樹飛彈和其他武器打擊烏克蘭無人機製造和能源基礎設施。烏克蘭軍方警告俄軍可能從靠近裏海的卡普斯京亞爾戰術核武試驗場發射飛彈後，西部城市利維夫附近通報周五清晨發生爆炸。

The Oreshnik can carry conventional or dummy warheads in addition to nuclear ones. A Ukrainian assessment found that the warheads used on Friday contained no explosives, according to Col. Roman Kostenko, secretary of the defense and intelligence committee in Ukraine’s parliament. Those findings suggested that Russia fired the missile largely in an attempt to send a message, one that some European officials said they took as a threat.

榛果樹飛彈除了可搭載核彈頭，也能搭載常規或假彈頭。烏克蘭國會國防和情報委員會書記科堅斯科上校指，烏方評估報告發現，俄軍周五發射的榛果樹飛彈彈頭不含爆裂物。這些發現顯示，俄軍發射這種飛彈主要是試圖發送訊息，而一些歐洲官員稱他們將此視為威脅。

The Russian Defense Ministry called the strike a response to an attempted Ukrainian attack last month on one of Putin’s residences in Russia. Ukrainian officials have called the Kremlin’s claims of an attack on the residence a lie intended to derail the peace talks, warning that Russia may be seeking a pretext to intensify strikes. U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that there is no evidence that such an attack occurred on the Putin residence.

俄國國防部稱，這次空襲是回應烏克蘭上月試圖攻擊普亭在俄國其中一間官邸。烏克蘭官員則稱，克里姆林宮聲稱官邸遇襲是試圖破壞和平談判的謊言，並警告俄國可能找藉口加強空襲。美國情報機構已判定，並無證據顯示烏克蘭曾對普亭官邸發動攻擊。

文／Andrew E. Kramer and Cassandra Vinograd，譯／羅方妤

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【張佑生】

俄國用可以搭載核彈頭的中程飛彈轟炸烏克蘭西部，當地與波蘭接壤，跟俄國宣稱的烏克蘭東部俄語區不同，對歐洲和北約的敵意昭然若揭。英文慣用語gain steam源自蒸汽火車，在此意為「加速進行」或「進入關鍵時刻」，俄羅斯趁勢秀肌肉，逼迫西方在烏克蘭軍援與談判條件間選邊。

Send a message兩度在內文出現，透過有限武力展示「紅線」或「後果」，不求實質破壞而求心理威懾，轟炸烏西(北約邊境)是警告歐洲，停止軍援；假彈頭則是提醒烏克蘭：核武隨時待命。

Pretext是用來掩飾真實原因的託辭：The incident provided the pretext for war.例如，盧溝橋事變被日軍拿來當作侵華的藉口。托爾斯泰《戰爭與和平》：" said Natasha, immediately guessing his thought; "but I know you wish to avoid any pretext for finding fault with us.

烏克蘭指控俄方，找藉口加強攻勢，干擾和談。Derail的原意是列車脫軌：The train derailed in heavy snow.常用做譬喻：a mistake that might derail the negotiations或derailment of the peace process.