Russia wants to get ballistic missiles from Iran. The reasoning behind such purchase is that Ukraine doesn’t have proper missile defense. But it is temporary.
It should be noted that the kremlin wanted to get its own intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBM) designed to pose a strategic threat to Europe at the distance of 2000-6000 km long before the full-scale of Ukraine. The development of such weapon, officially the RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), wasn’t finished. Russia hasn’t obtained the desired weapons, so even the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal hypervelocity air-to-surface missiles are used to fire energy facilities now.
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The RS-26 Rubezh was based on the RS-24 Yars intercontinental ballistic missile, which is used by the Strategic Rocket Forces of the russian federation, and was described as a light version of the RS-24 missile.
The range of fire was meant to be from 2000 km to 6000 km so it would be considered as an ICBM to avoid the restrictions stated in the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. The missile was based on a MZKT-79291 chassis with 12x12 configuration made by the Minsk Wheel(ed) Tractor Plant.
It was stated that russia conducted 5 tests on the RS-26 missile in 2015, 4 of them was successful. But there is no information which type of warhead has been used – unitary (singe) or submunition (multiple), conventional or nuclear.
The kremlin decided to close the project in 2018 by removing it from the 2018-2027 State Armaments Programme. The decision wasn’t officially commented on. But russians interpret such action of the Defense Ministry as a “gesture of goodwill” within the context of compliance with the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.
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