In the immediate aftermath of Russia’s full-scale invasion more than three years ago, Ukraine used the Neptune with devastating effect against Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. Kyiv says that Russia’s flagship, the cruiser Moskva, was sunk in 2022 after being hit with two Neptune missiles. The missiles have been used against other naval targets, as well as Russian air defenses along the Black Sea.
Ukraine worked on extending the Neptune’s range and turning it into a missile suitable for use in land attack. The result is the Neptune-MD, also called the Long Neptune. It uses the same ground-launcher as the R-360, but has a new guidance system and uses an infrared homing system in the final approach to its target, reported Ukraine’s Militarnyi website.
In recent months it has been fired at targets close to the border with Ukraine. Last week’s attack is the longest-range strike by a Neptune.
“A new Ukrainian missile, precise strike. The range is a thousand kilometers. Thank you to our Ukrainian developers, manufacturers and military. We continue to work to guarantee Ukrainian security,” Zelenskyy said in a statement.
“For me, messages about the success of Long Neptune look credible,” Bielieskov said. According to him, Ukraine changed Neptune’s control system, adapting the coastal guidance software for strikes on land targets. “And at the same time, they increased the range — this is not an impossible task, just a bigger missile and more fuel in it.”
Long Neptune is a cruise missile, with all its advantages and disadvantages. The advantages are the speed of production and less complexity compared to ballistic missiles. The disadvantages are that they fly much more slowly than ballistic missiles, carry smaller warheads and are easier to intercept, Bielieskov said.
