This adaptability was proven last month when a modified Neptun missile successfully destroyed a Russian air defense system in occupied Crimea, Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, has confirmed.
Facing limitations on obtaining longer-range cruise missiles such as the US ATACMS and German Taurus, Ukraine has repurposed its existing arsenal to meet new operational demands, according to Ian Williams, an expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Despite the demonstrated precision and intelligence capabilities, experts, including Sidharth Kaushal of the Royal United Services Institute, question Ukraine's ability to produce these missiles in large numbers swiftly.
Previously in April 2022, Ukraine employed Neptun cruise missiles to sink the Russian cruiser Moskva, once the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet.
Developed in 2018 by Kiev's Luch design bureau, the RK-360 Neptun is launchable from various platforms, including ships and aircraft. With a maximum range of about 280 km, the missiles are designed to engage multiple targets at once both at sea and on land, and can evade enemy defenses by lowering their flight altitude shortly before impact.
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Source: PAP, Newsweek