Chief artillery official has confirmed that Ukraine already wields an attack missile capable of striking targets 700 km away, it is in testing and has successfully struck targets. This is what Serhii Baranov, Head of the Main Directorate of the Rocket Forces and Artillery, and Unmanned Systems at the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, told the journalist in an interview to KYIV NOT KIEV.
He noted that "there are prototypes, tests are being conducted." Moreover, it is an entirely new missile, not a modernization of an older type of weapon. Its capabilities will grow, in terms of both range and precision.
Read more: Ukrainian Long-range Weapons Hit a Target in russia at a Distance of 700 km - What Could It Be?
It was the answer to a direct question about the announcement by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky from August 31st in which he said the Ukrainian military had carried out a successful test of a new weapon with an attack range of 700 km.
The revelation, though, was quite vague because a long-range weapon could mean a suicide drone, for example, such as the Bober. The latter has proven to be able to reach this far. On top of that, Ukrainian forces used a converted Tu-141 Strizh reconnaissance drone to launch strikes deep into russia.
However, Serhii Baranov noted that it's a new type of missile. Thus the only question remaining is whether it is a cruise or a ballistic missile.
Furthermore, this information correlates with the statement by now-former Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksii Reznikov that the industry was developing a missile with a range of 1,000 km. Considering the low chances of two parallel projects at once, apparently, it is that one missile. For now it can reach as far as 700 km but the goal is to achieve 1,000 km with enhancement.
This missile program is of strategic importance, especially in the face of positional warfare since it can help Ukrainian forces establish parity in capability to wage remote war with long-range strikes on defense industry factories, bases, infrastructure, etc.
Read more: Are There Any Prospects for Ukrainian Long-Range Missiles in Mass Production
