Ukraine’s New Long-Range Air Weapon Marks a Milestone in Strengthening its Arms Industry
New Weapon Capable of Hitting Targets 700 km Away
Ukraine has made a significant advancement in its fledgling arms industry with the development of a new long-range air weapon. This weapon is capable of striking targets located 700 km away, exemplifying the country’s commitment to bolstering its defense capabilities. The announcement was made by Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a social media post. It comes in the wake of recent tensions with Russia, where the Kremlin accused Ukraine of launching a missile strike targeting the Pskov air base located approximately 700 km within Russian territory. The attack resulted in the destruction of multiple military cargo planes.
Continued Efforts to Increase Range and Strengthen Defense
President Zelenskyy did not disclose specific details about the newly developed weapon but emphasized the intention to further enhance its range. He stated on Telegram, a messaging app, “The range of our weapons, the new Ukrainian weapons, are 700 km away. The task is to extend that further.” This determination reflects Ukraine’s commitment to expand its ability to strike deep into enemy territory.
Challenges and Local Solutions
To conduct strikes on Russian territory, Ukraine had to develop indigenous solutions, as its Western allies declined to supply long-range weapons for attacks on Russia itself. However, Ukraine has managed to leverage foreign-supplied artillery and missiles, such as the American Himars and British Storm ghost missiles, to successfully target Russian assets within Ukrainian borders.
Unveiling a New Cruise Missile
Oleksiy Danilov, the head of Ukraine’s Security Council, recently revealed that an unspecified Ukrainian-made cruise missile successfully hit a Russian air defense system in Russian-occupied Crimea. The missile was referred to as a “new product” and was described as “absolutely flawless.” Although Russia has reported intercepting several drone attacks in its western regions, Ukraine has adopted a policy of neither confirming nor denying attacks on Russian soil. These strikes, albeit limited in military impact, aim to create political and psychological repercussions.
Russian Countermeasures and Evolving Threats
Russia has responded to the increasing drone attacks by sinking cargo ships around the Kerch Bridge, which connects the Russian mainland to Crimea. This defensive strategy aims to create a barrier against Ukrainian marine drones. Moreover, there are indications that Russia has redeployed some of its air defense systems from the Kuril Islands, which Japan claims as its own, to strengthen its western regions. These moves further highlight the evolving threats in the region.
Russia’s Sarmat Missile Complex
Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, announced that the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile complex is now ready for combat service. The Sarmat, the largest Russian ballistic missile ever built, underwent testing last year after over a decade of development. Capable of carrying up to 10 heavy warheads, the Sarmat has a reported range between 10,000 and 18,000 km. This development underscores the need for Ukraine to strengthen its defense industry to manufacture essential weapons, such as artillery shells, for its counteroffensive.
Developing Ukraine’s Defense Industry
President Zelenskyy has taken proactive steps to develop Ukraine’s defense industry, intending to manufacture more weapons domestically. One noteworthy initiative involves the manufacturing of 155 mm artillery shells to NATO standards. Zelenskyy expressed that although the production capacity is currently limited, it represents a significant improvement compared to previous levels. Additionally, Ukraine has pursued collaborations with international defense firms to enhance its capabilities.
Collaboration with British and German Defense Firms
Ukraine recently struck a preliminary deal with British defense firm BAE Systems to eventually produce 105mm light guns, a type of artillery, within the country. This agreement signifies a strengthening partnership between the two nations in the realm of defense. Moreover, Ukraine and Sweden signed a declaration of intent to enhance cooperation in the production of CV90 armored vehicles, which are manufactured by a Swedish unit of BAE Systems. Furthermore, German defense company Rheinmetall has announced plans to establish a factory in Ukraine for the production of armored vehicles, in collaboration with Ukroboronprom, Ukraine’s state-owned defense group. These collaborations not only contribute to Ukraine’s defense industry but also foster international relationships and technology transfers.
Conclusion
Ukraine’s development of a new long-range air weapon, capable of striking targets 700 km away, signifies a significant milestone in its efforts to strengthen its arms industry. This achievement demonstrates Ukraine’s determination to enhance its defense capabilities amidst ongoing tensions with Russia. By leveraging local solutions and collaborations with international defense firms, Ukraine aims to bolster its domestic defense industry further. As the conflict in Ukraine continues, both sides strive to gain an edge in terms of technological advancements and military capabilities. The evolving landscape in the region presents new challenges, necessitating constant innovation and adaptation. It remains to be seen how these developments will shape the course of the war in Ukraine and its geopolitical ramifications.
Summary
Ukraine has made significant strides in strengthening its arms industry with the development of a new long-range air weapon capable of hitting targets up to 700 km away. President Zelenskyy announced this milestone as tensions with Russia escalate. Despite facing challenges in accessing long-range weapons from Western allies, Ukraine has successfully utilized foreign-supplied artillery and missiles for strikes on Russian assets within its borders. Moreover, recent revelations of a new Ukrainian-made cruise missile hitting a Russian air defense system in Crimea demonstrate Ukraine’s growing capabilities. Russia has responded with defensive measures and possible redeployment of air defense systems. While Russia prepares its Sarmat missile complex for combat, Ukraine focuses on developing its defense industry through collaborations with British and German defense firms. These partnerships aim to manufacture essential weapons domestically and enhance Ukraine’s overall defense capabilities in the ongoing conflict.
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Ukraine has built a new long-range air weapon capable of hitting targets 700 km away, the latest sign that the country is strengthening its fledgling arms industry.
The announcement, made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy on social media overnight Thursday, comes days after the Kremlin accused Kiev of launching a missile strike that hit the Pskov air base, some 700 km away. inside Russia. The attack destroyed at least two Ilyushin Il-76 military cargo planes.
Ukraine’s president did not provide further details on the new weapon, but said kyiv was working to further increase its range.
“THE [range] of our weapons, the new Ukrainian weapons, are 700 km away [and] the task is [to extend that] further”, Zelensky wrote on Telegramthe messaging app.
Since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion just over 18 months ago, kyiv has steadily expanded its ability to strike targets deep behind enemy lines. It also used foreign-supplied artillery and missiles, such as the American Himars and British Storm ghost missiles, to strike Russian targets on Ukrainian soil.
However, to strike on Russian territory, Ukraine had to develop local solutions, as its Western allies refused to supply it with long-range weapons to attack Russia itself.
Last week, Oleksiy Danilov, head of the Security Council, said a new, but unspecified, Ukrainian-made cruise missile hit a Russian air defense system in Russian-occupied Crimea, calling it a “new product.” . . absolutely flawless”.
Russian officials said on Friday that their air defenses had intercepted several drone attacks in western regions of the country, with no major damage or injuries reported.
Kyiv has a policy of neither confirming nor denying attacks on Russian soil, which have become an almost daily occurrence.
Drone attacks on Russia have so far been too limited to have a major military impact; their goal was to inflict political and psychological damage, officials and analysts said. However, that could change.
Russia has sunk several cargo ships around the Kerch Bridge that connects the Russian mainland to Crimea to create a barrier to protect it from a series of recent attacks by Ukrainian marine drones.
Russia may also have redeployed some of its air defense systems from the Kuril Islands, which Japan claims as part of its territory, and moved them to western Russia. according to an article in the Japanese newspaper Kyodo News based on the analysis of satellite images.
Yuriy Borissov, head of the Roscosmos space agency, said on Friday that Russia’s new Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile complex was now ready to enter combat service.
The Sarmat, the largest Russian ballistic missile ever built, was first tested last year and has been in development for more than a decade. It is designed to carry a payload of up to 10 heavy warheads. Moscow said the complex could hit targets between 10,000 and 18,000 km away.
Zelensky’s remarks on Ukraine’s new long-range weapon come as Kiev seeks to develop its defense industry to manufacture more weapons on its home soil, especially artillery shells, essential for its counteroffensive.
Zelensky began to manufacture 155 mm artillery shells to NATO standards said this week“Not enough, very little for the front, but it’s already much more than before”.
On Thursday, kyiv also struck a preliminary deal with British defense firm BAE Systems that aims to eventually produce 105mm light guns, a kind of artillery, in Ukraine.
The British agreement came days after Ukraine and Sweden signed a declaration of intent to strengthen cooperation in the production of CV90 armored vehicles, manufactured by a Swedish unit of BAE.
German defense company Rheinmetall has also announced that it will open a factory in Ukraine to build armored vehicles, in association with Ukroboronprom, Ukraine’s state-owned defense group.
Additional reporting by Roman Olearchyk in Kyiv
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