Ukraine’s “Long Neptune” missile destroys military targets in Crimea - Missiles “rain” over Russians скачать в хорошем качестве

Ukraine’s “Long Neptune” missile destroys military targets in Crimea - Missiles “rain” over Russians

The Ukrainian modernized 1,000 km-range Neptune missile was used for the first time against a Russian military facility in the temporarily occupied Crimea. Ukraine’s Minister of Strategic Industries Herman Smetanin stated this in an interview with Nettavisen. According to him, the missile was also used to strike an oil refinery in Tuapse, Russia. In the interview, Smetanin also spoke about the recent test of the new Ukrainian system, the details of which are still being kept secret. The official clarified that the Ukrainian military industry now produces about 30-40% of the weapons needed by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Defense Express media outlet recalls that the creation of the “Long Neptune” was first announced by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “A new Ukrainian missile, an accurate strike. The range is a thousand kilometers. We thank our Ukrainian developers, manufacturers and military. We continue to work to ensure Ukraine’s security,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram. Open source intelligence analysts and media outlets have reported that Ukraine used the new rocket to hit a Russian oil refinery in the Black Sea port of Tuapse this past weekend. Regional Russian officials confirmed a fire at a facility in the town — some 550 kilometers from the front line. Experts told that the new rocket is likely a modification of Ukraine's Neptune R-360 anti-ship missile. The R-360 cruise missile was developed by Luch Design Bureau in Kyiv, and has been employed by Ukrainian forces since 2020. The R-360, along with the RK-360MC-System, is used to protect Ukraine's coastline by recognizing and destroying enemy ships. The R-360 has an explosive payload of up to 150 kilograms and has a range of up to 300 kilometers. Its first use in battle came in April 2022, when it was deployed against the Russian frigate Admiral Essen. That trial was followed days later by what would become one of the most important events in the war, when two such missiles struck and sank the €750 million Russian cruiser Moskva, the flagship of Russia's Black Sea fleet. Serhiy Zgurets from the Ukrainian defense consulting firm Defense Express agreed that serial production is key. He believes Ukraine should be able to keep up with Russia and produce 40 to 50 missiles each month. "We have to achieve that kind of pace," he said, adding that unlike other types of missiles, the team behind this new Neptune is extremely experienced. "For instance, people have been talking about the Ukrainian Sapsan ballistic missile for 15 to 20 years now and it still hasn't been completed." Whereas, he added, the Neptune has already repeatedly proven its worth in battle.