Under a veil of secrecy, Ukraine has been developing its first domestic-made ballistic missile.
Details of the weaponry’s capabilities remain classified, but Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that a successful test has been carried out and the result was ‘positive’.
While he refused to provide any more details at this stage, he shared the news ‘so that the Ukrainian society would know that domestic defence producers working 24/7.’
Whatever the capabilities of the missile, the Ukrainian government has been tight-lipped about it amid fears of Russian sabotage of production facilities.
Ivan Stupak, a former Ukrainian Security Service officer, told Metro.co.uk that the development and testing of the ballistic missile are kept highly secretive to stop Russian interference.
‘It is all a secret,’ he said. ‘Currently, Russia would be trying to find out where the missile is to destroy it and stop Ukraine from using it on the battlefront.’
Based on Ukraine’s demands in the war, Mr Stupak said the missile likely has an operational range of between 300 and 600 miles.
The estimated cost per head could vary, potentially around $2 to $4 million, but these figures are uncertain and could change as production scales up.
The security expert said the Ukrainian missile is likely modelled on Russia’s 9K720 Iskander.
It is one of Russia’s infamous mobile short-range ballistic missile system, which have been used in the most recent deadly strikes on Ukraine, particularly in the Kharkiv region.
Although it is not confirmed, there is speculation that it could be launched from a ground-based, maneuverable platform, possibly mounted on a vehicle with eight wheels to support its weight and provide mobility.
He added that the missile could be deployed on strategic sites within Russia, like airfields, command centres, ammunition depots, repair facilities and oil refineries.
Mr Stupak added that it could be used on territory in the regions of Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk, where Ukrainian forces have been carving out a slice of land the size of Los Angeles in the last three weeks.
‘Most importantly, this would be Ukrainian production,’ he stressed. ‘We would not need to ask the White House or Downing Street or any other Western power for permission before deploying the missile on Russian territory.’
In the two and a half years of full-scale war, Russia has launched about 10,000 missiles of various types and more than 33,000 glide bombs at Ukraine. Stopping attacks on our cities can be achieved by targeting the carriers of this weaponryâRussian aircraft stationer at military⦠pic.twitter.com/mzisamRWd8
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / ÐÐ¾Ð»Ð¾Ð´Ð¸Ð¼Ð¸Ñ ÐеленÑÑкий (@ZelenskyyUa) August 25, 2024
The announcement of the ballistic missile test comes just three days after Ukraine said it successfully launched its first missile-drone, ‘Palyanytsia’.
Mr Stupak explained that the name refers to a type of Ukrainian bread – but it has also added symbolic significance because it is a word that Russians find almost impossible to pronounce.
Since the full-scale war started, it has been by the military to determine Ukrainians from Russians because of the different pronunciation.
The Ukrainian military has not officially released details on the specs of the new weapon, but the minister for strategic industries, Oleksandr Kamyshin, said that the rocket drone was a form of high-speed precision-targeted projectile.
He wrote on X: ‘We have mortar drones, artillery drones, and now, we introduce a completely new class of weapon – rocket drones.
‘The rocket drone “Palyanytsia” was successfully used today (Saturday), striking a military target in temporarily occupied territory.’
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