Ukraine develops its own long-range missile

Ukraine is investing in a project to develop its own long-range missile, Oleksii Reznikov, Minister of Defense of Ukraine, stated.

He explained that Ukraine has good prospects for the production of its own long-range missiles with a range of 1,000 kilometers or more, Militarnyi reports.

In particular, the minister was asked whether there is an opportunity in Ukraine to renew the production of long-range missiles.

“We have an approved missile program. Funds have already been officially allocated from the budget for it. The performers of this program are 100% Ukrainian production, and industry,” said Reznikov.

At the same time, he cited the successful example of the project of Ukrainian Neptune anti-ship missiles, which sank the Russian cruiser Moskva.

“We have very good prospects of having Ukrainian missiles with a range of more than a thousand kilometers,” Reznikov emphasized.

The Minister also added that Ukraine’s Western partners often hesitated whether to provide a new type of weapon because they were wary of the next level of escalation.

“I strongly convinced them to give us Harpoon anti-ship missiles, which were supposed to protect our coast of Odessa and port hubs… When we hit the cruiser Moskva with Neptune anti-ship missiles, a week later it was decided to give us Harpoon missiles. As soon as our partners know that our missiles, with certain names of ours, fly more than 200, 300, and 400 km, I am sure that ATACMS and the rest will appear,” Reznikov emphasized.

As previously reported, the Sapsan operational-tactical missile system was supposed to become the most powerful Ukrainian weapon. It could hit a target at a distance of up to 500 km. For example, the distance from Moscow to the Ukrainian border is approximately 480 km.

Ukraine began manufacturing Hrim-2 TBM in 2016 by the order of Saudi Arabia. In February 2021, the then Minister of Defense, Andrii Taran, stated that the operational-tactical missile system was 80% ready and “it is necessary to take the last step” and complete it. In March 2023, Oleksii Reznikov noted that there was a “realistic plan” to complete the creation of the missile system already that year.

As previously reported, the Russian Ministry of Defense claims that Ukraine started using Hrim-2 tactical ballistic missiles.