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Ukraine is increasingly relying on its own cruise missiles
November 27, 2024 – 1:28 p.mReading time: 3 minutes
After a long wait, Ukraine is allowed to use Western missiles against Russian targets. Now the country is trying to go its own way.
Ukraine is increasingly relying on its own production of cruise missiles in order to make itself more independent of Western supplies in the war against Russia. President Volodymyr Zelenskyj had repeatedly asked the Western allies to be allowed to use weapons supplied against targets on Russian territory.
After the outgoing US government under Joe Biden recently approved the use of ATACMS missiles against Russia and the use of British Storm Shadow cruise missiles was also documented, Kiev also appears to be pursuing its own strategy. The self-developed R-360 Neptune rockets are intended to enable greater autonomy in defense.
The Neptune cruise missiles were originally developed for use against sea targets and caused a stir in April 2022 when they sank the Russian flagship “Moskva” of the Black Sea Fleet. In general, cruise missiles differ from conventional rockets in that they can be controlled over large distances and also fly at very low altitudes, making them difficult to detect by radar and anti-aircraft systems.
The system has now been further developed so that targets can also be attacked over longer distances. As Defense Minister Rustem Umyerov recently stated on social media, Ukraine has started mass production of the missiles – 100 examples have already been completed. President Volodymyr Zelensky also announced that the country plans to produce 3,000 cruise missiles and missile drones next year.
According to the Ukrainian manufacturer Luch, the Neptune system, fired from launch pads, can fly up to 300 kilometers. However, Ukraine wants to increase the range to 400 and then possibly up to 1000 kilometers.
Russia’s defense under pressure
According to Ukrainian sources, Ukraine is relying on a combination of GPS navigation and possibly a passive infrared search system to detect land targets in the new version of its Neptune cruise missile. Military expert Timothy Wright from the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London explained this to “Spiegel”. Although Russia can in principle jam GPS signals and has a “capable and diverse” air defense system, the use of this technology still represents a challenge.
“It will be difficult for Russia to intercept everything,” Wright continued. The recent successful Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian territory have shown that such defense systems do not always work seamlessly.
George Barros, a Russia expert at the Institute for the Study of War in Washington, makes a similar assessment. He sees the versatile use of weapon systems as a clear advantage for Ukraine. “An attack package that includes only one type of system, such as just ATACMS, will be easier to intercept than a complex attack package that uses a combination of ballistic ATACMS, Storm Shadow cruise missiles, drones and Neptunes,” Barros told Spiegel “.
The weapons’ different speeds and approach directions could help overwhelm Russian anti-aircraft systems. With the ability to coordinate such attacks, Ukraine could significantly increase its effectiveness, said Barros.
Russia is pursuing a similar strategy to Ukraine, combining various weapons systems to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses. Russia is also apparently relying on new missile systems: a few days ago a suspected new Russian medium-range missile hit Dnipro. President Vladimir Putin said the missile, called “Oreshnik,” was also suitable for attacks on Western Europe and “cannot be defended against by enemy systems.” This information cannot yet be independently verified.
Ukraine is increasingly relying on its Neptune cruise missiles to attack sensitive targets such as ammunition depots or anti-aircraft defenses in Russia, explains Nico Lange, senior fellow at the Munich Security Conference, to “Spiegel”. However, for well-protected bunkers and command posts, rockets with greater penetrating power are required, such as British Storm Shadows or German Taurus cruise missiles.
Ukraine’s stocks of British Storm Shadow and French Sculp cruise missiles are almost exhausted. “There is still a military necessity for Germany to deliver the Taurus,” emphasizes the security expert. A strong military position in Ukraine could help “force Putin to make peace.” However, Chancellor Olaf Scholz continues to strictly reject the delivery of the German Taurus rockets.
