Ukraine develops 1,000 km range cruise missile based on R-360 Neptune project

According to President Zelensky, the new cruise missile has successfully passed combat tests and accurately struck its intended target. This announcement came just one day after Ukraine carried out an attack on a Russian oil refinery in Tuapse.

Unofficial sources suggest that the timing of Zelensky’s statement was not coincidental. Initially, it was speculated that the refinery attack was conducted using long-range combat drones, but growing evidence points to the use of the newly developed cruise missile instead.

Reports indicate that the missile was launched from an area near Odesa over the Black Sea. With a distance of approximately 700–800 kilometres to Tuapse, the target was well within the missile’s operational range.

A security camera recording of the attack provides further evidence of a missile strike rather than a drone operation. The sound of the incoming projectile and the intensity of the explosion suggest characteristics typical of a cruise missile.

The original Neptune missile, with a range of 400 kilometres, was developed before the Russian-Ukrainian war. It was first unveiled at the International Defence and Security Exhibition in Kyiv in 2015 and was officially introduced into limited service in 2021.

Despite production challenges, reports indicate that KB Luch aimed to deliver approximately 100 Neptune missiles by the end of 2024. The missile gained international recognition after being used to sink the Russian warship Moskva in the Black Sea.

Following minor modifications, Neptune missiles were also used to target land-based sites in Russia. In 2023, Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence initiated a modernisation programme to adapt the missile for ground attacks.

The upgraded version features an improved warhead, a modified flight control system, and satellite-guided positioning. During the final attack phase, the missile employs an infrared guidance system for enhanced accuracy.