During the “Ukraine 2024. Independence” forum, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the successful testing of Ukraine’s first locally produced ballistic missile. He commended the country’s defense industry for their impressive accomplishment and recognized the hard work of those in the sector, who persevere in advancing military technologies despite the ongoing conflict with Russia.
The recent successful missile test, coupled with Ukraine’s persistent calls for enhanced military capabilities, highlights the escalating conflict and the country’s resolute effort to boost its defense industry.
Although the specific information regarding the new ballistic missile is currently classified, its announcement demonstrates Ukraine’s increasing capability to independently create and utilize advanced weaponry. According to the Ministry of Defense, by the end of 2023, Ukraine is expected to have the means to manufacture missiles with a range of 1,000 km. Furthermore, this project is solely funded by the national budget and being carried out by Ukrainian industry.
Zelensky revealed the triumph of Ukraine’s recent missile test, demonstrating the nation’s ongoing commitment to bolstering its military capacity. However, he chose not to disclose specific details about the missile, citing its sensitive development process. This announcement comes after previous reports suggested that Ukraine has put into action a new advanced “rocket drone,” dubbed Palianytsia, underscoring their prioritization of improving offensive capabilities.
Currently, Ukraine has two tactical ballistic missile systems in its possession. The first is the Soviet-era Tochka missile with a range of 120 km, although it is not as accurate. Secondly, the country has developed a new short-range ballistic missile, called Hrim-2 or Grim-2, also known as Grom-2, Thunder, or OTRK Sapsan. This system was created to replace the current Tochka-U missiles and is designed to surpass air defense systems like the Russian S-300 and S-400. In its export form, the Hrim-2 can accurately target both stationary individual and group targets at distances between 50 and 280 km. However, for Ukrainian military purposes, the range has been extended to an impressive operational distance of 700 km, providing a significant enhancement compared to its previous range of 450 to 500 km.
As Zelensky persists in urging Western allies to remove limitations on the utilization of long-range weapons supplied by them against Russian targets, he stresses the escalation in Russian bombardments and urges for increased support from Western nations.
Zelensky stated that the recent surprise offensive carried out by Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region aimed to make up for their limited access to long-range weaponry. He also pointed out that several of the missiles fired by Russia during Monday’s attacks were sourced from areas such as Kursk, Belgorod, and Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014.
