Russia has begun launching 9M729 missiles, capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, at Ukraine.
Russia has been striking Ukraine in recent months with the 9M729 cruise missile, the secret development of which once forced US President Donald Trump to abandon the Nuclear Arms Treaty with Moscow. Reuters reports.
The 9M729 missile can carry both nuclear and conventional warheads and has a range of up to 2,500 kilometers. Russia has launched 23 such missiles since August, with two more recorded in 2022. During one of the launches, on October 5, the missile flew more than 1,200 kilometers before reaching its target. Fragments of the 9M729 missile were discovered after hitting a residential building in the village of Lapaivka in the Lviv region on October 5. The published images show parts of the engine and markings that match the technical characteristics of this missile.
The 9M729 missile was the reason for the US withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) in 2019. Washington then claimed that this missile violated the terms of the treaty, as it was capable of covering more than 500 km, while Russia denied this.
Moscow subsequently declared a moratorium on the deployment of these missiles, but Western countries believed that Russia had already deployed part of the 9M729. On August 4, the Russian authorities officially announced that they would no longer limit the location of their missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
Experts emphasize that the use of the 9M729 gives Russia the ability to launch cruise missiles from land from various directions, which significantly complicates Ukraine’s air defense system and increases pressure on European countries.
